KY IDE&JLEE)
H BULLESSES
Icshio MarMno
0
S^ I
THE LIBRARY
OF
THE UNIVERSITY
OF CALIFORNIA
LOS ANGELES
MY IDEALED JOHN BULLESSES
A LITTLE PILGRIMAGE
IN ITALY
OLAVE M. POTTER
12s. 6d. net
With nearly lOO Illustrations, including 8 in
Colours by YOSHIO MARKING, the
Japanese Artist in London.
7'/;«^j.—" The book is written with much delicate
charm, and the illustrations are delightful."
Daily Mail.— "The. book is illustrated by that
delightful Japanese artist whose work England
has already learnt to love."
Daily Express.— Ths illustrations to this book
are very delicate and they have a charming fulness
of tone ; the coloured plates are characteristic and
in the real sense of the word illustrative. It is
interesting and well written, and the production
excellent."
CONSTABLE & CO. LTD.
lo Orange Street W.C.
IN LONDON FOG.
MY IDEALED
JOHN BULLESSES
BY
YOSHIO MARKING
AUTHOR OF "a JAPANESE ARTIST IN LONDON'
ILLUSTRATED
LONDON
CONSTABLE & COMPANY LTD.
1912
v^
HQ
INTRODUCTION
JOHN BULLESS is my home-made English for
the English woman ! It was such long, long
ages ago when most of my worshipful John Bulless
friends were not yet born, and I too was such a
little kid, that my father went to Kobe or Yoko-
hama (I forget which) and brought back a chromo-
lithograph picture. So far as I remember, it was
given him by some Dutch officer.
The picture was a portrait of a most beautiful
girl of about eighteen. Her chestnut-coloured
hair was divided in the middle and waved down
on both sides of a well-formed white forehead.
She opened her big round and blue eyes and looked
a little sideway, while her crescent-like eyebrows
came down nearly to the level of her eyelids.
Her nose was short and high with such a nice form
— perhaps a little turned up, what the Parisians
call Le Nez Montmartre. Her rosy lips were
broken with a sweet smile and showed her white
teeth inside.
My father framed this picture and hanged it on
Tokonoma. This was the very first European
vi INTRODUCflON
picture of any sort to have invaded into my village.
All the villagers used to come and beg us, *' Please
honourably allow us a glance upon that honourable
foreign young lady." My tathcr told every one of
them, " You see this young lady is half naked, be-
cause she is going to have a bath." But now I
know she was in an evening dress.
The men and women, young and old, rich and
poor, all of them worshipped this picture. Some of
them exclaimed, " Could it be possible that such a
beautiful woman is existing in the same world
where we live ? Could she be an ordinary human ?
No, she must be either goddess or witch I " My
father often said," I am glad we haven't such a girl
in our village, or else whole villagers would be
turned into insane, through the girl 1 "
I myself was only six or seven, but I could not
get away from this picture. It seemed to me this
girl was always beckoning me, whenever I looked
at it from distance, and 1 always went under the
picture and bowed down to pay my homage to her.
A little later on, my house was almost bank-
rupted and 1 had to depart from my dear home.
1 don't remember what has become of this picture
then. Anyhow, my life began so busy for study-
ing as well as for struggling against my own
poverty. At the same time I began to forget this
picture altogether.
INTRODUCTION vii
Strange to say, my childish impression on that
picture has been strongly revived again ever since
I came to England. Indeed, some John BuUesses
are more beautiful than that picture, and moreover
they have wonderful intelligence and Sweet Sym-
pathy. I feel much flattered to be befriended
by many of these John Bullesses.
My childish Ideal is realised by them at last !
That is why I call this book My Healed John
Bullesses. My chapters will be exclusively about
my own personal friends.
There are two ways to observe this world. One
is to see everything all over, but very roughly.
Those tourists often do this way when they travel
all over the world in a short limited time. Another
way is to limit the ground of observation, but to
see every detail very carefully. I always choose
the latter way. It is just like an astronomer sur-
veying the sky from the inside of a well. He
cannot observe the sky more than that circle of the
size of the well. But the sun, the moon, and the
stars which he sees from the well are the same sun,
moon, and stars you see on the open field.
The British Empire is very large, while my
own social circle is as small as the size of a well.
I sincerely admit my observation is so narrow.
The Reader, you may laugh at me. There must
be many other kind women in England whom I so
viii INTRODUCTION
unluckily have not yet met. But if any John
Bulless has passed within my own small circle, I
have never been too lazy to observe her. This
is another reason why I call my book My Idealed
John Bullesses and I dare not call it All English
Women.
Generally 1 write down the full names of all my
friends in my book. But exceptionally in this
book I omit their names, for I know most of my
John Bulless friends would be too much bashful if
their full names were spoken, and that is the
sweetest part of the woman's nature. How could I
be so savage to injure their sweet nature ^
Only one thing I want to tell the reader. In
this book, there will be no dummy figure or my
own hypothesis whatever, but they are all sketches
from the real living John Bullesses who are sisters
to you.
When the above introduction appeared on The
English Review some friends brought me a Press-
cutting. It was a criticism on this preface. It ran
thus : —
" The English Review publishes a quaint article by
Mr. Yoshio Markino, who styles it * My Idealed
John Bullesses.' By this account Japanese men,
and women also, feel an instinctive admiration for
English beauty. Mr. Markino tells how his father
, 7
INTRODUCTION ix
obtained the portrait of a fair-haired girl, somehow,
* and all the villagers, men and women, young and
old, rich and poor, worshipped this picture. Some
exclaimed, " Is it possible that such a beautiful
woman is existing in the same world where we
live ? " ' This is very curious. Professor Karl
Pearson will be interested. It is a practical refuta-
tion of his theory, worked out so minutely, with
such surprising illustrations, that human instinct
unconsciously obeys the law of *like to like.' He
admits that there are exceptions, as we all have
observed ; indeed, proverbial philosophy assumes
that the law runs just the other way, and like seeks
unlike. But no man who has studied Professor
Pearson's facts and figures can believe this, at any
rate. The Japanese people may be an exception.
Upon the other hand, we distinctly recollect a
lecture at the London Institution, some years ago,
by a Japanese professor of eminence, who thought-
fully considered why his young countrymen study-
ing here and in the United States were so long in
recognising any beauty at all in the European type
of womanhood. But perhaps they diifer from the
villagers. Again, however, Pierre Loti's frank
description of * Madame Chrysanth^me's ' anatomy
forcibly suggests that men who admire that style
could not possibly appreciate the very different
formation of our countrywomen — putting face
A 2
INTRODUCTION
aside. But we do not venture to form an opinion
on a matter of which we have no experience."
My friend asked me seriously if I did write
untruthful things about my villagers, I sighed
and lamented bitterly. How some so-called sciences
stupidify people, even till they begin to suspect
the unvarnished truth ! I have not read Professor
Pearson's book yet, and I shrill never read it either,
for I hate reading books. However, I trust Pro-
fessor Pearson to be a great scientist. I do not
intend by any means to attack earnest scientists
who are incessantly trying to discover the law of
the nature. Sincerely I pay much respect to them.
Only I am astonished that there are many people
who do nothing but follow after the theory of a few
books which they have read, and they ignore the
true facts which are before their eyes. May I call
these people " Second-Class Brains " } (If not
Third-Class !) How much this class of people is
giving damage against the progress of this world !
Open the pages of History and see ! Columbus
would not have had the great difficulty to prepare
his voyage of discovering America if only those
Second-Class Brains had not interfered ! Nor
would there have been such a long, unnecessary
bloody war between the Catholics and Protestants !
1 have not enough spare pages here to mention
all those stupid troubles which were brought for-
INTRODUCTION xi
ward by the Second-Class Brains. If I speak about
those old histories which have shown the results
plainly enough, everybody (even the Third-Class
Brain) agrees and says, "Yes, yes, yes." But how
many people are really recognising what the world
is doing now ^ What cause is it making and what
result is coming .?
The Parliamentary system to decide everything
by the majority of numbers sounds very fair, but
suppose there is only one very rare First-Class
Brain among nine other fools, how would the
Parliamentary system act then ?
The nine Blinds would push the one clear-sighted
man into a ditch, and then they would drown
themselves too. They will die without repenting.
Only the people of a few centuries later will laugh
at their ancestors, and they themselves will repeat
the same foolishness again. I always say books
ought to rescue those Second-Class Brains from
their superstitions, but many books only harden
their superstitious hearts even more instead.
Here I must give the reader an old story. Once
upon a time there was a farmer who believed
fox-story (some superstitious people thought the
fox transfigured itself into a human). He had a
walk in a lonely mountain, and met with a man.
The farmer shouted in a trembling voice, " You
fox 1 How dare you to annoy me like this ? "
xii INTRODUCTION
The man said, " I am not a fox. I am living in
that village. So remember my face and come to
my house to-morrow. You shall recognise me
then. Here is my address. My name is "
"Shut up!" the farmer demanded. "You are
ruining my faith in fox I Don't speak to me any
more, but go into your hole ! "
The next day that farmer told everybody that
he had seen a fox transfigured into a man.
To me all those Second-Class Brain people are
same with this farmer I Now and then I often
hear people saying quite thoughtlessly, " West is
West and East is East." I am much afraid when
this word is impressed strongly into the Second-
Class Brains they might bring out a great trouble
in this world. That is to say, the war between the
different races.
Even now somebody has already invented the
word "yellow Peril." You cannot imagine how
this word hurts my heart. Indeed this word itself
is eventually inviting most critical bitterness against
the Asiatics who are desiring to make a good
friendship. Shall we have to see the blood of
many innocent souls quite unnecessarily shed by
this race question in the end ? I wonder how long
is this world playing such fool } I am earnestly
expecting some great scientist to come out and
classify us by Ethics and Humanity instead of by
INTRODUCTION xiii
the colours and shapes. He will find us out much
same to each other, and there shall be a happy
euphony all over the world.
Perhaps I need some little explanation here why
my villagers admired that portrait of the European
girl. Firstly, my villagers as well as myself wor-
shipped Europe as the most civilised country.
When one worships anybody or anything, of course
it looks very nice to his or her eyes !
Secondly, we have a proverb in Japan, " Nice
complexion conceals the other seven faults." We
always look upon the white face as the greatest
beauty. Even now I myself often have a severe
discussion with my John Bulless friends when we
talk about beauties, because I choose nicest skin,
while they choose clear-cut features.
These two reasons are enough to have made my
villagers worship that portrait.
When I came to England every John Bulless
looked very beautiful. The difficulty for me was
that I could not find out their weak points. There
is a very good example to prove this. I went to
the Earl's Court first year, and I was quite amazed
with the English beauties. On the second year
I noticed there were not so many beauties as the
first year. The third year was still less. The
fifth and sixth years were getting less and less.
I asked one of my friends why. She laughed at
xiv INTRODUCTION
me and said, " The women there are always the
same, only your eyes are getting sharper ! "
I told this to several Japanese friends, and they
all agreed with me. One of them said, " It is true
that we cannot distinguish the English women
from each other. But they all look only too
beautiful to us ! "
I myself have witnessed several painful cases in
California where Japanese are not allowed to marry
American women. Many Japanese fell into love
with American women and were driven into in-
sanity. That happened to two of my intimate
friends. One committed suicide, while the other
became quite insane, and he was sent to a lunatic
asylum in Japan.
Another instance happened here. A Japanese
married with a servant-girl, and he was as proud
as if he married a peeress, in spite of the fact that
he might easily marry a real peeress in his own
country.
Once or twice I met with some Japanese who
denied all English beauty. I believe if one tries
the more to classify the taste of beauty, the more
exceptions will spring out. After all, this sort of
science is exactly like the English Grammar. Oh,
how I have been horrified by its " exceptions " 1
No beauty-hunters or art-lovers could exist under
any human-made narrow rule.
INTRODUCTION xv
Just while I was writing this, one of my Japanese
friends came into my room. 1 showed that cutting
to him. He looked rather surprised, as he is a
great admirer of John Bullesses, too. Next day he
brought me the extra number of a Japanese maga-
zine— C^Qhon-no-'Bijiny or The Beauty of Japan.
The editor of the magazine seemed to have had
interviews with all eminent professors, officers, and
geishas and actors. Several of them claimed that
there were no beauties in Japan as in Europe.
Here 1 give the translation of a part of Mr. Gozo
Noma's article, who believes Manchurians are the
most beautiful in Asia.
"When I was living in Hokoman (a town in
Manchuria) I noticed the women there are very
tall, and their skin is so beautiful, almost like the
European women. On the fi^te day when I saw
those beautiful women walking I thought I was in
Hyde Park in the season and watching the English
ladies. . . ."
This is a very good medicine for the Second-
Class Brains which are so easily hypnotised by a
little scientific book.
CONTENTS
CHAPTEB
I. Early Life in Kensington Gardens
II. Sport and Dancing
III. Social Life ....
IV. John Bulless as my Teacher
V. Queen of the John Bullesses
VI. Home Life ....
VII. When the John Bulless looks Prettiest and
WHEN the John Bulless is Liveliest
VIII. The Broad-minded John Bulless
IX. Failure of Love ....
X. Suffragettes ....
XI. My First Visit to the W.S.P.U.
XII. Mrs. Fawcett ....
PAGB
I
IS
33
53
68
84
97
102
109
128
149
158
XIII. The Suffragette Procession of June, 191 i 163
xvu
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
COLOUR PLATES
In London Fog
Roller Skating
Windsor Castle
Punting on the Thames
Walking in the Street
Reading in Kensington Gardens
Frontispiece
FACING PACE
12
70
88
104
120
LINE DRAWINGS
Some of my John Bulless Friends . . . viii
At Kensington Gardens 2
John Bullesses Playing 17
John Bullesses Dancing 23
At the Ballet 28
Natural History on John Bullesses ... 34
Shopping 38
At the Dressmaker's 42
Outside the Theatre 48
xix
XX
LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
FACING PAGE
Saturday Evening at Greenwich and Kensal Rise 54
58
62
66
72
74
80
82
132
142
156
Are thev the Incarnations of Ibexes?
Energetic John Bullesses in the Rain
Industrious John Bullesses
Windsor Park
Virginia Water
Queen Adelaide's Tree ,
Old Windsor .
At the Albert Hall
Votes for Women .
At Clement's Inn .
My Idealed John ^ullesses
CHAPTER I
EARLY LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS
'TpHE heart of this noisy and busy big London
is very pure and most sacred ! There all
those little innocent John Bullesses (Bulls as well)
go every day to breath the fresh air and to grow
up naturally together with the sparrows, peacocks,
ducks, and lambs.
When I arrived in London I found out her
heart immediately. I was told that was called
Kensington Gardens. The both sides of this heart
are London's main arteries and veins. (I always
call South Kensington side " arteries " because there
red Hammersmith bus passes, and Paddington
side " veins," because blue " Union Jack " bus
passes there.) The motor-buses with their deafen-
ing sounds, taxis with their dazzling speed, the
wagon-carts with their heavy wheels, and elegant
private carriages and motors are incessantly flowing
to and fro.
2 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
If you stop the circulation of the traffics in these
arteries and veins, London cannot live. With
some difficulty you can reach to the gates. But
no sooner you step into the threshold, than you
shall forget all the busy Metropolitan life ! When-
ever I go there I wonder how London could have
such a sacred heart ! I feel I am some hundreds
miles away from the town. I admire the beautiful
Serpentine Lake, and I love those benevolent old
trees. But what fascinates me most are those little
John Bullesses. Their merry ringing voices to
call their nurses and comrades are sweeter than the
nightingale's songs. Their snow-white pinafores
and capes or their tinted velveteen frocks are
prettier than the plumes of any tropical birds.
Their curly locks, fresh vermilion lips, and milky
skin are beautiful. Their witty, smiling eyes rob
one's heart. Their innocence adds a greater de-
light to look at.
In the spring they crawl on the grasses to pick
up tiny daisies. In the summer they play balls
under the shade of the green foliage. In the
autumn they chase after the falling leaves. In
the winter they roll their hoops, keeping themselves
warm in pretty furs.
Sweet, lovely, and charming all through the
season. Our proverb says, "Sendan scatters its fra-
grance from the time of its coming out of the earth."
\ o
.^,
^
U4f |\ m M
^1 ^
mAF^-'^'^
a^ A^^.^~j/^ ^'
%^7Ce*,_^
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS 3
The heart of London, or Kensington Gardens,
is the real living Paradise in this world to make
one forget his daily care.
It was almost ten years ago, I had to begin my
artist life, and my last penny was gone. I called
on my worshipful school teacher, Mr. Wilson, at
Vicarage Gate one morning. He was out. His
servant told me he would be back four o'clock in
the afternoon. Alas, I had to skip off my luncheon
and wait. As Vicarage Gate was quite near to
Kensington Gardens, I went there to spend the
time. And watching those gay little John Bullesses,
I had quite forgotten my hunger. Ever since I
have been most frequent visitor there, whenever
I felt down-hearted. And every time I was quite
cheered up. We have saying in Japan, " Even
the Buddha's face, three times is enough to see ! "
This sounds very untrue in the case with those
little John Bullesses. For I have been there very
often for last thirteen years, but I never get tired,
nay, on the contrary, the more I see, the more I
love. Children (or baby John Bullesses) are just
like well-polished mirrors. If you smile on them,
they will return you their smiles at once. And if
you give them unpleasant countenance, they copy
the same countenance immediately and droop their
heads down. When you open your heart they
come and talk to you, and they make you their
4 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
friend without hesitation. But no sooner than
you suspect them, they would run away from you
without making any courtesy. O, how beautiful
is their nature 1
The grown-up people are not so. Although I
am always quite open-hearted, I am suspected by
them often, and very often I wonder when have they
lost their beautiful nature ? Perhaps it is not
their fault. This wicked world is making them
suspicious. I always tell them, " Go to Kensington
Gardens and receive the great lesson from those
little John Bullesses." Is it not what Christ said,
" Kingdom of heaven is children's .'' "
How foolish I am to think that I see the same
little John Bullesses there every year ! I have
quite forgotten that they are growing fast. Fancy,
those little ones whom I saw first time must be
quite grown-up ladies now ! It is hard for me to
believe that. How are they grown ? is my con-
stant question. I always sincerely wish that they
are growing easily and comfortably without injuring
their beautiful childish nature.
To me the English babies add one more charm
to their beauty. That is, they don't cry much.
All my Japanese friends agree with me. How very
often have I heard my Japanese friends say, " Why,
the English babies don't cry at all ! " We were
simply wondering about it until I met with an
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS 5
Englishman who visited Japan for a year. He
said to me, " How wonderful that Japanese babies
never cry 1 " This word entirely destroyed my
own logic upon the English baby's quietness ! I
said to him, "What ? What are you talking about ?
You don't know the inner side of the Japanese
families then ! " Whereupon he repeated the same
to me, " You don't know the English family life at
all." Now I learnt that the English babies must cry.
However, I rebuilt my logic again. That English-
man was in Japan only for a year, while 1 have
been in England for nearly fourteen years. So I
believe I have seen the English life more than he
has seen the Japanese life. Surely the English
babies cry fourteen times less than the Japanese
babies. I am talking about those under the middle
class in which I have been living here.
Certainly the babies of the upper class in England
as well as in Japan would not cry much. For they
are well looked after by the excellent nurses. If one
travelled inland of Japan he should see those
farmers' babies cry terribly. Here is a very old
Japanese song quite familiar in my village and it
shows the poor farmer's busy life : —
Ame wa furu furu
Takimono 'a mureru
Uchija Ko ga naku
Hi ga kureru.
6 Mr WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
(The rain begins to fall, the rain begins to fall, so the
kindling wood will be wet.
Inside the house the baby is crying,
While outside the sun is sinking.)
I have not seen this sort of life in Greenwich,
New Cross, Kensal Rise, and all other poor districts
where I have been.
It was not long after I came to London that I
met with an unfortunate young John Bulless. She
was about twenty-two or twenty-three. She
married with a Greek tobacconist. They lived
happily together only for eight months, when the
former wife of that tobacconist came from Greece.
It was such a great shock for that poor innocent John
Bulless. Her tender nature would not allow her-
self to appear in the court. She simply ran away.
A baby-girl was born two months later. Now the
poor mother had to work as a housemaid to earn
the living of both herself and her baby. I was, in
some way, connected with the house where she
was working. As I always listen with all my
sympathy to one's sad life, this girl used to tell
me all her unfortunate life. She was so attached
to her baby. She said to me, " My mistress is
very kind and allows me to leave the house
II p.m., and she does not want me until 6.30
next morning. You see, although I am working
like this now, it is nice to think I am free in the
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS 7
night. I have a little room near by where I keep
my baby, and I feel happy to caress her all night."
My heart was much moved with this pathetic
girl. Poor girl ! She felt " nice to think " that
she was free only from 1 1 p.m. to 6.30 a.m. for
caressing her baby 1 I sincerely wished that I
could help her to make all days free for her, but I
myself was far too poor to assist her materially,
and she seemed quite comforted with my only
mental sympathy.
One Sunday afternoon she wanted me to see
her baby in Kensington Gardens. I waited on a
bench for a few minutes, then I saw her coming
in from one of the gates. She carried her baby
in a shabby, clumsy wooden cart. She told me she
bought it for los. 6d., which I gave her as a little
Christmas present. And she said she was very
proud of it. I begged her not to talk any more
about the cart, for I felt a great pain in my
heart. I saw her baby in a very shabby little dress,
though neat it was ! But baby herself was such
a jolly and pretty one ! She was about eighteen
months then. Whenever other children passed
by, this baby always greeted every one of them
with a happy smile. I thought how innocent that
poor baby was 1 She did not know anything of
her own life. She must feel she is the same with
the others. But suddenly most beautiful little
8 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
John Bulless appeared in the distance. She was
coming with a well-dressed nurse. I saw this
little stranger clad in snow-white velveteen with
ermine cap and muff. She and her nurse passed
by my baby friend. I noticed immediately the
expression of my poor baby friend was changed.
I am sure she was rather depressed seeing the
luxuries of her stranger comrade 1 With such
curiosity and earnestness she bit her finger and
twisted her neck quite round back. Has she
already learnt a great lesson about the real mean-
ing of this world now .'' I was wondering about
it very deeply. The mother did not seem to
understand it, and I dare not tell her what 1 was
thinking ; but I could not say good-bye to them
until I saw the little one recognised her mother's
face and began to smile again.
Nine or ten years have passed since, and as I
myself had to go through a hard time, I have
entirely lost the sight of this poor mother and
daughter, but I am always thinking what have
become of them now.
So-called " English hypocrisy " is well known
all over the world. At least 1 myself have heard
about it ever so often, and strange to say that I
hear that from the English themselves more than
from any other foreigners.
They are always grumbling, *' We can't do that
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS 9
... we can't do this for the English public,
because we are very * hypocrite ' nation ! " Ah, it
is true that you cannot do anything you like as
in some other country. And I have often met
with English hypocrites. Indeed, they are hypo-
crites. They do all sorts of wickedness in the
dark, and they walk as quite innocent and respect-
able gentlemen in the broad daylight.
I sincerely hate these personalities. But as the
whole effect on the social life, I am rather grateful
to some hypocrites. I mean especially for the
sake of young children. About two thousand
years ago a Chinese philosopher exclaimed,
" Nowadays everybodies are calling themselves
* sages,' but who knows the male and female of
crows?" Indeed, it is as difficult to distinguish
the sage and hypocrite as to distinguish the male
and female of crows.
So those simple-minded children believe every-
body is the sage and they can grow quite innocent.
Where else in this world could we find such inno-
cent children as in England ? In the other coun-
tries where people are not so hypocrite, some
wicked people are talking and acting in most
disgusting matter before the children, conse-
quently the children begin to know too much of
undesirable things in their early life.
There it is impossible to expect such pure and
10 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
innocent soul as " The Pride of Village " which
Washington Irving described in his Sketchbook. 1
did almost suspect that when I read it in Japan.
But here in England I am always meeting with
delightfully innocent young John Bullesses. It is
not too much to call them living angels.
Before I conclude this chapter let me give the
reader a sketch of some young John Bulless sisters
whom I know quite well.
Some twenty years ago, in a little town of
the Midlands there were two little sister John
Bullesses. Their ages were only one year different.
They were taken into an open country by their
nurse every day, and they enjoyed a breezy day
best, for they were so fond of chasing after the
fallen leaves or pieces of paper. They would run
miles to catch them. But sometimes they could
not because those leaves were often blown over the
fences. Here the younger little John Bulless
would start her fairy tale. " Don't you see, that
leaf was the spirit of some prince. Now he has
gone away on his adventures round the world."
The little fairy-tale maker was very earnest to tell
the tale, making her big round eyes ever so shining,
which met with still more earnest eyes of the elder
listener.
The latter would beg her little sister not to end
the tale too soon, so that it would continue all the
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS ii
way home. Sometimes the tale was not half
finished when they reached home and had supper.
They used to sleep side by side in a very large
room. They were so frightened to make noise,
for their governess would come and scold them if
they did not sleep immediately. Therefore the
earnest listener always asked her younger tale-
teller to whisper the continuation of the fairy
story to her ear. Thus they went on until late in
night.
Who knows this little story-teller John Bulless
is a real genuine writer now I
1 learnt this much of her childhood life from her
sister. As I wanted to know more, I asked her to
tell me about her life. She only laughed and said,
" Yes, I used to tell much lie 1 "
Her modestness made me feel it was hopeless to
ask any more, so I ventured myself to write to her
sister and ask. In a fortnight time I received the
answer thus : —
" You know that after my eldest sister came
myself, and then M , the third child, you see,
born with many gifts on Mayday. There were
many years before my little brother and younger
sister came, so that they did not count very much
in her childhood. M and I had a governess
to live with us and teach us. We loved each other
very dearly. Even in those early days I naturally
12 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
and without question or desire looked up to her
opinion and followed her lead. She was always so
clever at suggesting new games to play, new stories
to tell, new ideas to think about.
" Do you picture us then ? Toddling through
those early years hand in hand, very contented
with each other, living in a world of the imagina-
tion suggested by M , and, I am afraid, nearly
always hating other children who didn't understand
our play. ... As we grew up we were always
together at home and college. When we came
home and put our hair up M was never happy.
She often used to tell me she would go. That
always made me sad.
"At last my father had to go a voyage to South
Africa for his health and M went too, to
look after him. . . . When she came back we used
to spend many hours talking of what she had
seen and done, and of the thoughts she had dis-
cussed. And I could tell the voices of the Big
Things were calling to her.
"So our paths at last divided,and she plunged into
the dark forest of the Unknown, where there are
so many beautiful flowers to be found, but where
also there are many stones to cut the feet.
" 1 feel I have told her story poorly, not showing
all the truth and sweetness of her personality ; but
I think your knowledge of her may colour my grey
LIFE IN KENSINGTON GARDENS 13
descriptions. . . . Only to a great friend of hers
should 1 have written this."
When I read this letter I was much moved
in tears, and quite absent-minded for a whole
hour. We say in Japan, "Searching oyster-shells
we find out a pearl incidentally." Indeed, I only
wanted to know the early life of my John Bulless
friend, and I found out another great lesson ! It
was about sister's love of the John Bullesses. The
writer herself might very easily not be thinking
while she was writing this, but there in her every
word I see the brightest ethic — her sisterly love !
I have read It over and over again. The more I
read, the more my heart is struck. Especially there is
the genuine truth in these lines : "Where there are
so many beautiful flowers to be found, but where
also there are many stones to cut the feet." Indeed,
I have noticed very often that even the charming
and beautiful John Bulless has to cut her feet in
this world. About this I shall talk more in the
later chapter. Anyhow, at the present moment I
cannot stop my exclamation how sweet Is the
sister's love 1 Strangers generally look on the
matter diff'erently. If one gets fame or wealth, the
others always become very jealous of her. Only
the sisters have sympathy enough to look this
world quite transparently and recognise the difHcult
part at once.
14 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Reading this letter, some ancient Chinese odes
came into my mind unconsciously : —
Look at those mayflowers in millions.
Is there any calyx without its blossom ?
So the human beings in this world
Have nothing better than their sisters and their brothers.
In the hour of death and mourning
Only the sisters and the brothers understand each other.
In this life like hills and valleys
Only the sisters and the brothers seek each other.
Water-wagtails^ are in the field,
But when the sisters and the brothers are in danger
Friends would only sigh.
Though the sisters and the brothers may fight inside
their fence,
From the outside danger they protect each other.
And though you may have friends they would not help
you.
1 Water-wagtails. The ancient Chinese believed these birds to
have strong family affection, and thought that if one died the others
would not survive it for long.
CHAPTER II
SPORT AND DANCING
T KNOW so little of John Bullesses as school
girls. Do they object to see such a foreigner
like myself? It is awfully strange to say all my
English friends are always willing to introduce me
to their daughters, and these daughters are either
under ten years of their age, or above eighteen.
None of my friends has a daughter between ten
and eighteen. I wonder if the John Bullesses
jump from ten years old right up to eighteen im-
mediately ? I don't think so, because I see so
many girl schools, and there abundant girls are
studying. I fear that the Britannia is forbidding
me to meet her school girls ! However, I met
with one school girl in San Francisco. Both her
parents went to live there from England. There-
fore I must call her a John Bulless. She was
about sixteen or seventeen, and I was working in
her house as a servant. I admired immensely
about her earnestness for her school lessons. It
was her only work to understudy the school books
every evening. She had many elder sisters and
15
i6 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
a brother. They all were quite grown up. One
evening her parents and sisters made a theatre
party. They ^^ere going to a theatre, leaving this
poor school girl alone at home. She seemed a
little depressed. She sighed, " So you are all going
now ? " She said this with a quite sad voice.
Her mother said to her, " But, my dear child,
aren't you interested with your school work .'' "
Immediately she brightened her eyes and said,
" Oh, mamma, we had such a difficult problem of
geometry to-day, none of us could serve it. The
teacher said she will wait until to-morrow, when we
ought to serve it. I am going to work it out
to-night ! I am quite excited 1 Good-night to
you all ! "
I said to myself, " What a lucky mother who is
to have such a good-natured daughter ! Ah, she
deserves it, for she has educated her daughter in
that way 1 "
I paid much respect to both of them.
I know nothing more about the other school
girls' home life. But I have very often seen them
playing all sorts of sport on the open air. It
just happened that when I had a walk in Clapham
Common some years ago, I saw many school girls
playing the Hockey there. It was the first time
I ever saw that game. I was much surprised with
their activity. I said, " Now I see why people
/^»7=ri—
SPORT AND DANCING 17
often call their young John Bullesses * Lamb ' !
Because they are hopping, jumping, and kicking
the ground, like those baby sheep."
But I was told that was not the reason. They
were called " Lamb " because they are tender !
" Tender .'' " I screamed.
However, when I saw those beautiful and
charming faces in their curly locks, I could not
deny the word " Tender."
No woman in this world is so fond of the out-
door sports as the John Bullesses. I noticed its
result upon them immediately when I came to
England. Now let me write my first impression
about the John Bullesses. They looked to me
bigger than the Japanese women, of course. But
much smaller than the Californians. Anyhow, I
thought, their figures are more well built. Their
muscles are perfectly developed. One of my
Japanese friends told me the same opinion. He
has been all over the world. He said, " Com-
paring the English women with others, I find out
the former's meat looks much harder."
It is all through their daily exercises outdoors.
Consequently there is a strange contrast between
West and East. In England the daughters of
good families have all sorts of outdoor exercises,
therefore " their meat is harder," as my friend says,
and they are sunburnt, while the poorer-class girls
c
1 8 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
are paler and softer, because they are obliged to
work In shops or at home, and are not exposed to
the sun much. And their exercises are not enough
to develop their muscles thoroughly. Of course
I know the laundress or charwomen have over-
developed brachialis and trapezius.
In Japan it is reverse. The poorer-class girls
go outdoors a great deal, and their manners
are more or less rough. So they are dark and
strong, while the better-class girls stay in the
house, and their pastime life is to write poetries,
or do tea-ceremonies, flower-arrangement, etc. etc.
Therefore they are paler and more delicate.
Of course this impression of mine is that of
when I was in Japan some eighteen years ago, and
the girl's education has been much changed since
I left my country. To my delight, I hear the
better-class Japanese girls are getting to be fond of
the outdoor exercises too.
When I was in Paris some French ladies laughed
at the John Bullesses' outdoor game, and said, " It
seems to us so foolish to go out to the field and
chase after all sorts of tiny balls every day. We
don't see much pleasure in that. It's too childish
and too laughable. We prefer to go to cafe and
have gay time."
I said to them, *' I am very sorry for your own
sake that you are not interested with the sports.
SPORT AND DANCING 19
Well, hockey may be * too foolish,' golf may be
*too silly,' and tennis may not be interesting for
you. Permitting all your own logic, how is about
your health ? Indeed, it is the question about the
health, not only physically, but mentally too. If
you go to the open field, you shall always be in
contact directly with the Nature. You hear how
sweetly those innocent birds are singing. You see
how beautifully those meadow flowers are blossom-
ing. Those trees give refreshing green foliage in
spring, and once more they turn into magnificent
golden leaves in autumn. Everything you are
observing there is pure and sacred. And you
yourselves are unconsciously converted into purity
by the Nature."
The age of the school girls is most dangerous
time in the life. Their heart is most sentimental,
and a bud of some romance is growing inside.
They may be easily tempted. To pass this period
of their life is just as difficult as to pass a steel pin
between the two limbs of a magnet. On both
sides, nay, all round them, temptations are attract-
ing them with some magnetic power,
I know personally many women in the other
countries who have been entirely infatuated at
their youthful time, and some time they have too
high ethic to be ruined, then they generally get into
melancholy fit. The reason is simple. Because
20 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
they are shut indoors all the time. If they lack
their exercise at their growing age, of course their
minds become too sensitive. I sincerely contribute
much of my estimation towards the John Bullesses
who so wisely know how to pass their important
time of life. That is why they are pure and sacred.
I must say their gain is very great both ethically as
well as physically. When the woman is physically
strong her nation shall be strong. When the woman
is ethically strong her nation shall be very virtuous.
The woman is the backbone of the country.
If I see very high moral country, I always credit
it as the result of the woman's behaviour. For
men are fraud all over the world. Almost every
man is searching the woman's weak point to take
his advantage. I wonder how many men in this
world are really pure and sacred ! It is the women
who are controlling the passions, both of men's as
well as of themselves.
It seems to me that in England almost every-
body is extremely fond of dancing. I often asked
the John Bullesses, " Do you like dancing .'' "
Their eyes start to shine brilliantly. Their mouths
begin to break into a sweet smile. Before they
give me their verbal answer I read in their faces
how fond of the dance they are. Therefore I shall
write about the English dancing now.
My very first impression on European dancing
SPORT AND DANCING 2J
was not at all favourable. When I was about
fourteen or fifteen, the society people in Tokio
organised the European ball. The public opinion
was very noisy. Many loyal Conservative critics
attacked the idea and lamented that the ball is too
immoral for Japanese.
It was this time that Mr. Shiro Shiba published
a book called Tokai-no-Kajin, or The Lady of the
Eastern Sea. In this book he described that he
was walking along the Sacred Sea shore at the
bottom of Fuji Mountain. He was so tired, and
he rested himself under a benevolent pine tree.
Suddenly he heard a very holy tune above the sky,
and a most graceful and beautiful goddess de-
scended from the heaven. She was bitterly lament-
ing about the present society people in her divine
country. Then the goddess showed him the real
ancient Japanese dance, which was so graceful and
dignified.
When she finished her dancing she bid farewell
to him, saying she could no longer live in such
a dirty country where people began to imitate the
barbarious foreign dancing.
I read this book over and over again, and I was
much impressed, especially because I was in a
missionary college at the time, and I used to see
those missionaries were kissing each other's mouth
in front of the public, and I was rather shocked.
22 Mr WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
One day I saw an illustration of th'". ball in some
Japanese paper. I was most surprised. " What ?
Those half-naked women embracing the man tightly,
and twisting themselves round and round ? You
savage Barbarians 1 Even the dogs behave them-
selves better than you 1 "
I spat on the picture.
" Oh, you Westerners, how you dare call your-
self * the civilised nation,' and look down on us,
the sacred nation, as a barbarious country ? "
But when my temper was more or less calmed
I began to think that " anyhow it is the fact that
Europe Is civilised. They do most wonderful
things which we cannot. I really don't understand
about the ball."
I had then a worshipped Japanese professor to
whom I used to tell everything. I asked his
opinion about the European dancing. He smiled
and said to me, "Pray don't prejudge everything
with your babishly narrow mind ! Don't you know
we have saying, * If you go to the different lands
you see different stars ' ? What we think very
vulgar may be very sacred to the others. I hear
some black people in Central Africa keep their
sacred day by killing as many souls as they can in
front of their gods. If you ask them they will
give you their own reason in it, and say they are
quite right. I myself feel just the same way with
M
Ta-.^ ^'
y
-^ 11
SPORT AND DANCING 23
you about the ball. That is to say, they seem
very vulgar to me. But surely they think them-
selves quite right. Once, the Westerners were
savage. That they all agree. Then there may
be many customs which have been handed down
from their savage days. Only their spirits are
changed into the civilisation. Ourselves have many
instances of this sort of custom. For instance,
look at the men's evening dress. The history of
its origin was simply shocking. But now not only
the Westerners, but we too wear it, and we have
not a slightest shame about it. On the contrary,
we feel much dignified by wearing it. I feel almost
sure that the origin of the European dancing
might have been indescribably vulgar, but now it
may be nothing but the grace.
" Nowadays the Ambassadors and many hon.
guests from all the foreign countries are stationing
themselves in our country. And it is our utmost
etiquette to entertain them. The European ball
may be most necessary.
" Who knows that some day dancing may become
our own custom } Don't you know about the
smoking ? When the Portuguese brought tobacco
to our country several hundred years ago there was
a great indignant feeling in our country. Indeed,
more than once, the national law prohibited the
smoking. But to-day our nation is one of the
24 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
greatest smokers. Tobacco is no longer foreign,
but our own.
" Everything is like that. Strange is the custom
of each nation ! "
I sighed — " Ha, ha ... ! um . . . m ! Very
well 1 I shall start to dance too ! I don't object to
squeeze and twist these half-dressed girls round
every night ! "
" No, no, no ! " the professor shouted. '* I do
object you. You wait patiently and follow after the
customs which become common to all the nations.
Until then you dare not ! "
Such was my impression when I was a boy in Japan.
Then I went to San Francisco, where I was
absolutely excluded from the white people because
I was a Japanese. Besides, my extreme poverty
would not allow me to think about dancing. What
was going on among the society people there ? I
had no chance to inspect.
But when I came to London and stayed in a
lodging-house in Greenwich there were two little
John BuUesses in the house. One was eleven and
the other nine. They both told me they were very
fond of dancing.
"...?" I glared at them with surprise.
" What .? You dance .? "
"Yes, Mr. Markino, we always dance at our
school."
SPORT AND DANCING 25
I was far more than surprised, and said to myself,
" Such tiny John Bullesses are dancing ! And the
school allows them to dance ? "
Christmas arrived within a few weeks since I
came to London. One day I saw in the Graphic or
the Illustrated London Nezvs (I forget which) that the
Lord Mayor had given a children's ball at the
Mansion House. " Hallo, hallo, hallo ! " I said,
looking at the illustration with curiosity.
The landlord of the house was staring at me
above his eyeglasses. He was an old man of about
sixty. " Mr. Markino, are you interested with the
English dancing } Do you like dancing .?"
I said, "Yes."
He said, " So with me. I am very fond of
dancing."
I philosophied myself — " What ? Little kid ot
nine said she liked dancing, and here an old man of
sixty says he likes the dance too 1 "
I was quite puzzled.
The old landlord seemed as if he had read all my
puzzlings. He said, " You see, Mr. Markino, in
England everybody likes dancing. Young and old,
rich and poor, all are the same."
I put another question on him.
" And with whom do you dance ? I suppose
with your wife, or some old men .'' "
He said, " Not quite necessarily 1 "
26 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
*' Do you dance with some young ladies ?"
" Yes, I am delighted to dance with them ! "
I could not utter a single word by my amaze !
*' What a madly flirting nation they are ! " 1
thought, " it seems to me they flirt until their
death ! "
Quite lately, say since three or four years ago,
I have been fortunate enough to be befriended by
some quite aristocratic John Bullesses. One day
the topic of our conversation turned about the
dance. I asked them, " So you are going to dancing
to find out your future husbands ? "
" Sir 1 " they scolded me. " How dare you behave
yourself so vulgar before us 1 "
1 laugh at myself. It was awfully funny that I
myself wanted to put upon them that question,
" How dare you behave yourself so vulgar 1 "
And now it was reverse all round the other way,
and this question was befallen upon me from
their mouth instead. However, they explained to
me that dancing is one of the most refined and
graceful arts, and there is no other meaning I
I was much ashamed of myself. All my sus-
picions like a dark cloud was cleared out, and bright
sunlight (or electric light, rather) is shining when-
ever I see the dancing. Many thanks to my John
Bulless friends to convince me at last !
Nowadays I often meet with some of my Japan-
SPORT AND DANCING 27
ese friends in London. We often talk about the
English dancing. As usual and natural to them,
the questions spring out whether the dancing is
immoral or not. One of them asked me, " Do you
agree with the dancing ? "
" Yes,*' I reply. " In England. You may
dance with the John Bullesses. But with Japan-
ese women I don't know. It all depends on what
state of mind they have ! Don't you see those
John Bullesses } They are mixed with boys from
their early life. They are trained admirably pure
and sacred 1 They are just like the electric wire
covered with insulating medium. Perhaps they
may have a strong electricity of the passion-
ate love inside of their heart, but they are quite
safe. You shan't feel their electricity by dancing.
Their insulating medium is the British patent I
You are a merchant, you know too well how safe
and sure are all the British patented goods. So
with the John Bullesses. They begin their dance
no sooner than they can walk, and dance until they
die. It is only a beautiful national feast. If we
want to dance in our country, first of all we must
prepare insulating medium to cover ourselves
absolutely well, otherwise the dancing is dangerous,
for we might be easily drowned into the silliest
infatuation ! "
About the duration of the dancing, I don't know
28 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
whether English custom Is good or bad. It seems
to me too long altogether. Wouldn't those young
John BuUesses and Bulls suffer their health by-
dancing whole night until the next morning ? Per-
haps not, if they are perfectly happy. For the
happiness is the best medicine for our life. But
here I want to say something between West and
East. I often hear from some John Bullesses the
question on the Japanese theatre, " Don't you think
it is too long that the Japanese theatre should go
on the plays for the duration of six or eight
hours .? "
In reply to this question I ask the John Bullesses,
" Isn't your dance too long ? And besides, re-
member our Japanese theatre opens on the day-
time, while you dance all night."
You shall have to come to the conclusion of my
logic. If the Japanese playgoers feel happy to see
the long play, they don't think it is too long as you
imagine. Anyhow, the English dancing and the
Japanese theatre are both too long for myself.
Only the thing that I can bear quite happily for
more than eight hours is to sleep in bed 1
It was a few nights before the last Christmas
Eve that my friend H took me to the dance
at the " Empress's." I was delighted to see many
jolly and charming John Bullesses and Bulls to-
gether enjoying their gay pastime. But to tell the
mm f%m
Qj /^ eaJJUA,
SPORT AND DANCING 29
truth frankly, I was disappointed with one thing.
That was about the new-fashioned dresses. With
the skirts tight up at the bottom. I always call
it a mermaid dress. Well, I do not always oppose
against this mermaid dress. It is very nice to see
one in this dress from front. Indeed, it is very
pretty to see tiny shoes peeping out from very tight
and small bottom of the skirt. The back view is
not absolutely bad, and the side view is rather too
stiff. It is not quite ugly when they are sitting.
But about dancing, I dislike it. Some John Bulless
told me it was rather difficult to dance in a mer-
maid dress, while another said, it was more com-
fortable than a full skirt for dancing. Of course,
I don't know anything about dancing. But while
you are dancing you don't see how yourself look 1
And I must say, do just what you like best and
enjoy yourselves. I am only talking as a bystand-
ing observer. A few years ago 1 saw an illustra-
tion of the ball at the Buckingham Palace in some
weekly paper. All the ladies of the Court wore
the full skirt, and the picture showed their beautiful
twist. To my eyes nothing could be more grace-
ful than those ladies' movements in the dance. I
was anticipating to see that grace at the Empress's
the other evening. That was why I was desperately
disappointed. Those John Bullesses in the mer-
maid skirts were just like wet mice when they
30 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
danced. Sometimes when a small lady danced
with a tall man she looked like a wet cloth stuck
on a stick after the flood is over. I stayed there
about a few minutes and bid good-bye to my friend
H because I found nothing much to make
a graceful picture.
Now about the fashions, my worshipful John
Bullesses, why do you always mock after the
French fashions .'' Of course the French women
are most wonderful about their taste, and I always
admire them in the fashion of their own designs.
They know perfectly well what dresses suit them
best. But surely their designs don't suit every
John Bulless. (I must admit some John Bullesses
dress up the French fashion wonderfully well.)
First of all their figures are different. Talking
generally, the French women have higher shoulders.
Their chests are pushed forward like pigeons, and
their hips go back. In one word, their appearance
is very feminine. Perhaps their spirits are very
feminine too. On the other hand, you John Bull-
esses have gracefully long necks, and your shoulders
are much sloping down. You are more like those
Greek goddesses. And your spirits are not at all
so feminine as the French. You are much interested
in literature, science, and art, or even eager on the
high political question. You are so pure and
sacred. Then why don't you create some graceful
SPOM AND DANCING 31
dresses especially for yourselves to show your own
dignity ? 1 frankly tell you, too much feminine
fashions don't suit you at all. You look rather
vulgar, which is not your nature at all.
Once Confucius had a walk with his few scholars.
A farmer boy was singing thus : " When the water
of this streamlet is clean, I wash my face in it.
When the water of this streamlet is muddy, I wash
my feet in it ! '*
Confucius said to his scholars, " My children,
do you hear what that boy is singing ? If the
water is clean he will wash his face, and if it is
muddy he will wash his ^ttt. It is not only the
water, but we, the human beings, are all the same.
According to our conditions, the people would
come to us in a different way." I think it is so
with your dresses. To keep your own dignity,
you need to think much how to dress yourselves,
surely your dresses do some effect on your own
mind too !
Here may I say a few words about another kind
of dancing ? It is the Ballet. I am extremely
fond of them. I go to the Empire or the Alhambra
as often as I can. It is not too exaggerating to
say that the ballet is one of the elements which
attract me to live in London.
Many of those lower middle-class people are
shocked at me. They exclaim at me, " What }
32 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
You have been at the Empire or Alhambra to-
night ? " They shudder their shoulders. They
tremble at me.
This I don't understand at all. I sincerely think
the ballet dancing is one of the greatest arts.
Mr. Wilhelm, the designer of the Empire ballet,
is a great friend of mine. He is one of the most
sincere and serious men I have ever met, and
I appreciate the Empire ballet still more since 1
know him. He takes a great trouble and care to
produce a ballet, which shows his utmost fine art.
Why then those lower middle-class people deny
this beautiful and graceful art ? Those who
shudder their shoulders for the Empire or Alhambra
often go to some suburban music-halls. Once or
twice I went to one of them. That time I was
really disgusted. Some singers sang most vulgar
and immoral songs. The parents and their children
could not listen to those songs together, if they
have ethical sense enough. To me, the ballet is
golden cloud while those songs are dirty mud.
And I am absolutely incomprehensible about those
lower middle-class people !
CHAPTER III
SOCIAL LIFE
Chopping wood — " To, To " (the sound of axe),
Singing bird — " Ho, ho " (their singing voices),
Coming out from the gloomy dark valley.
He flies to the top of the high trees,
" Ho — Ho," thus he sings.
He sings to search his mate.
Look at that bird !
Even the bird searches his mate ;
How could we humans, then, live without hope ?
The Heaven above hears our voice.
It shall sympathise with us,
And we shall be at ease.
(Shikyo, the ancient Chinese Odes.)
'' I ''HUS, the human beings used to be anxious
of getting companions to marry some three
thousand years ago. And so we are to-day. The
human love is not science ; it is neither progressing
nor improving by the age of this world. Therefore
some were already very graceful thousands years
ago, while some are still very ugly even now.
Indeed, we see too often some very ugly news on
every day's paper. They ought to be ashamed
before the other animals, which are always obeying
to their own nature. The wickedness of the
D 33
34 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
humans is to mislead their love in unnatural ways :
wild beasts with human faces are living everywhere
in this world. Now leaving this question aside,
so-called " civilisation " often leads the union of
the different sexes into some conventionality, and
one who has sincere etiquette always obeys to this
conventionality. But each nation has different
conventions. In the oriental country — China or
Japan — we believed that th*^ proper way to marry
was to be fixed by the parents. Confucius or
Mencius often said, " How to marry ? Ask your
parents' opinion first of all." To violate this law
meant to be " savage." I, myself, was born in such
a country.
The free marriage by love is certainly primitive
idea. But England, without being drowned in any
conventions, has carried out this primitive idea
into the civilisation, for which 1 pay much of my
admiration.
(Of course there are abundant examples of the
failure of free marriage, but their causes are not
through the real English civilisation.)
Let me now write what different effects the
women of West and East have through these
different customs. The fixed marriage by parents
makes the girls' life something like officers' or
clerks', who live on their regular salary ; and the
free marriage makes her life like the proprietors
■ A^! h''\. S'',\~-^ fill i
! n [it- - \'\l M^yX
'U
l^^iJ^ i/?
..t;.^>v*
/« '• ■■
SOCIAL LIFE
35
of some unlimited firms. When one is settled in
the position of regular salary, he is no longer so
keen on business. Therefore even very lively
persons often get into a quite dull temperament.
When one starts to invest all his money in an un-
limited firm, he immediately becomes very sharp
on his business matters. Therefore, even very dull
persons become quite plucky.
The marriage is exactly same. The oriental girls
are entirely relying upon their parents, and they are
not so keen to improve their personality or appear-
ance. In one word, they are indifferent. John
Bullesses are quite reverse. Their system of the
purely free marriage makes them alert, and it
comes out in their appearance, consciously as well
as unconsciously. As the good merchants always do
much advertisement, so the John Bullesses always
try to be nice and charming.
Talking generally, the human faces are not perfect,
for the facial muscles never work even all over, and
the result is that one eye is smaller than the other,
and one side cheek is fuller than the other side. To
my great surprise John Bullesses know their own
faces more accurately than most artists. I experienced
this ever so often. I asked a John Bulless to let
me sketch her left profile, and she immediately said
to me, " No, no, Mr. Markino, that is the worst
side of my face 1 "
36 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
1 looked at her face, and after studying very
carefully, 1 found out there was such a minute
difference which was too slight to observe, I said
to myself, " What a dreadful country I have come
to ! Those John Bullesses know their faces too
accurately. I shall never become a portrait painter
in this country." And I am glad to say I did not.
However, I don't mean to be angry with the
John Bullesses now. On the contrary, I am very
grateful, for I can study the real human beauty
through them, and I am enjoying it immensely.
Some time ago I saw a little John Bulless look-
ing at the mirror and smiling and laughing all the
time. I asked her what she was doing. She told
me she was studying how to smile to make herself
look prettiest. "!!!!!!!!!!.?" That was
my answer to her ! Indeed, John Bullesses are
always making my mouth silent by over-surprising.
About three or four years ago, it was just the
time when they had a new fashion of the hair-
dressing, to put a plenty stuff of the false hairs
and carry out the hair over the brim of the hat,
I saw the illustration of this hair-dress in some
paper, and very next day I took the underground
train from High Street, Kensington, to South
Kensington Station. There was a young lady
sitting opposite me, and she had already this very
latest fashion. So I looked at her head, and no
SOCIAL LIFE 37
sooner my eyes were focussed on her hair than
she raised up her hand and patted it. It was
quicker than the lightning. I wondered if my eyes
and her hand had only one nerve common to
each other ! Such a wisdom of self-beautifying art
is very little known among the Japanese girls.
Let me tell you more about their differences.
If you give some flowers to a Japanese girl, she
would carry them home and put them in flower
vases. But if you give flowers to John Bulless, she
would wear them immediately. It is not only
flowers that John Bullesses want to wear. If I
wear my national costume and pay a visit upon
some John Bullesses, every one of them always
wants to wear my haori (or overcoat). It is very
well with haori for them. But once a John Bulless
wanted to try on my hakama (a sort of skirt). I
put it out for her. Immediately she put it on
over her head. As you know, hakama looks very
much like skirt, but it is divided in the middle.
It is more like trousers, only the both sides are
quite full. That John Bulless was entangled with
hakama, and I had to release her breathing by
pulling off hakama from her head. Until this time
I did not know that ladies put on their skirt over
their head. It was an amazingly new lesson for me-
One evening lately I visited on one of my
young John Bulless friends. Her uncle brought
38 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
a large box in which he was keeping all his curio
collections. He put it on a table and took out
those curios one after another, and explained me
the histories of all articles. I was very interested,
but suddenly I recollected about the young John
Bulless. Where was she ? I saw her sitting the
opposite side of the table so quietly, and she was
very busy to try to wear every curio — even the
sealing stamps or snuff-boxes ! She was trying
them on her hair, then on her neck, on her chest,
and on her belt, on every part of her body, and
she seemed more interested than to have talk with
me. Indeed, the John Bullesses want to wear
everything — metals, stones, animals' skins, dead
leaves, and dead birds. I would not be surprised
if they picked up a dead snake on a field and wore
it on themselves. So far as I remember, some
John Bullesses used to wear some living lizards
about a few years ago.
It cannot be helped. For it is their inborn
nature that they want to wear everything which is
within the reach of their hands. They are exactly
like those little babies who always try to put every-
thing into their mouths. Unless the nurse looked
after them I don't know what would they do in the
end ! I am not joking at all. For more than
once I noticed that some of my John Bulless
friends took out a flower from a vase and wore
SOCIAL LIFE 39
it immediately. If I did not make her wait and
wipe the water on the stem, she should spoil her
best new dress. Once I said to her, " What would
you say to me if I myself splash a drop of water
on your dress ? I do wish I were the flowers ! "
When I was in Greenwich, I took out that little
John Bulless friend to Greenwich Park. We came
out to the heath outside the park, and this little
John Bulless saw a very, very old hat thrown away
in a bush. She immediately took off her own cap
and put that dirty old hat on her head, and said to
me, "How do I look, Mr. Markino V I scolded
her not to be so naughty. But in fact I was struck
very much by her beauty. She looked perfectly
sweet under that dirty hat. It seems to me any-
thing would suit John Bullesses so well. No
wonder why they want to wear everything ! When
I think about this the poetry by a Japanese philo-
sopher comes into my mind — " Whether it is fine
or cloudy, Fuji Mountain is always beautiful."
And when the John Bullesses make a good choice
on their dresses they are indeed "Fuji Mountain
in fine weather " to me.
I often go to the West End and look at those
show-windows to study the ladies' latest fashion.
One afternoon I took one of my Japanese friends
tothis study-tour in Bond Street. We saw many
dresses, evening cloaks, and then diamonds and
40 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
other jewelled head-gears, and when we came to the
show-window of a shoemaker I told him, " Now
let us finish to-day's work. What do you think
of it all ? "
My friend pointed to some gilted shoes, said to
me, " Look at them ! And also those diamond
head-gears which we saw a few minutes ago ! What
extraordinarily gorgeous things they are ! If any
girl wears them in Japan people would call her
* crazy.' But here in London, most wonderful
thing to me is that there are some women whom
those extraordinary things suit very well 1 "
*' Yes," I said. " Everything suits John Bull-
esses. And they wear everything. I would not
be surprised if a John BuUess wears things which
cost the same value with her whole house, and you
can study such sciences as Metallurgy, Botany,
Natural History, and Zoology by the wearings of
John Bullesses."
Seeing John Bullesses, I often recollect some
Japanese insect called " Mino Mushi," or " Over-
coat Insect." This small insect gathers feathers,
dead leaves, bark, and everything, and ties them
up together with her silky webs, and wears this
heavy overcoat. But when she takes off that
overcoat, lo, she is a beautiful butterfly. Some
John Bullesses bury themselves into such thick fur
overcoats in winter. You can hardly see their
SOCIAL LIFE £
eyes ; all other parts are covered with foxes' tails,
minks' heads, seal's back skin, a whole bird,
snake's skin, etc. etc. They make their size twice
or three times larger. But when they get into
a house and take off all those heavy wearings,
such a light and charming butterfly comes out.
It is quite natural thing that such butterflies are
very fond of jewelleries. However busy they may
be, they always stop in front of the jewellers' shops
whenever they pass by. The time is not counted
for them to look at the show-window. Perhaps
they are right, because they never get old by
spending hours in that way. Nay, they may be-
come younger. I always say John Bullesses are
prettiest when they are looking at the jewellers'
shops. For when they so eagerly look at what
they are very fond of, they no longer belong to
this troublesome world, in which everybody has
something to worry. In front of the jewellers they
look just like six-year-old children — so innocent !
The focus of their eyes is fixed upon some special
things they want. Some brightness comes into
their wide-open eyes, and now and then their
mouths break into such sweet smiles. They are
exactly like a cat aiming at a mouse. What a
perfect pose for portrait painting 1
I always wish that they can afford to buy every-
thing they want. What a hard luck for them if
42 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
they could not buy some dresses and all sorts of
nice wearings. I feel this especially, because they
are so keen in their self-beautifying arts.
Once I put on some questions to one of my
young and charming John Bulless friends : " Don't
you want to be a millionaire so that you can buy
every nice thing which you want ? "
She smiled sweetly in silence. Surely she went
into a dream — a dream of all sorts of imaginations.
But her common sense (I may say the regular
British sense) awakened her conscience from her
dream. She covered her face with her hands and
said to me, " No, no, no. If I can buy everything
I want I may be easily spoilt. Where is my hap-
piness then ? You cannot imagine how much my
brain is working every time when I go shopping.
All these excitements make me feel worth while my
living. For instance, sometimes I intended to buy
a dress for ;^io or £!§. But when I go to my
dressmaker I see some dress exactly suits me, and
it is ;^2o. After a great hesitation I buy it. On
all the way home my mind is very busy — half
happy and the other half unhappy. Then when
my dress is finished I put it on, and if all my
friends admire me in this dress I am turned into
perfect happiness.
" Being much encouraged by this kind of happi-
ness, I try to save more money for the next dress.
SOCIAL LIFE 43
Don't you think I am much happier as I am now
than to be a millionaire ? "
I paid much of my wordless admiration to her.
I said to myself, " She is a real John Bulless ! "
John Bulless knows exactly her own position,
and never dreams fool's paradise. Perhaps in her
mind she may rebel against herself, and may even
dream a fool's paradise, but she has a wonderful
conscience to come back to herself. Besides this
fact, I have learnt a great deal of philosophies
through that John Bulless' lecture. That is to say,
" to be satisfied in some unsatisfactory condition is
the utmost happiness of the humans." We have
a proverb, " To be quite fulfilled is the sign of
declining." For this reason I love the bud more
than fully blossomed flower, and the crescent more
than the full moon.
To-yen-Mei (a famous ancient Chinese poet) did
not philosophise himself in this way. For he
lamented in his poetry : " How long am I going to
keep my human shape in this world } Wealth and
fame are not my desire, the Paradise could not
be expected in this world." He ought to be
ashamed before the John Bulless who is making
this disappointing world directly into her paradise.
I often stand in front of the theatres, 1 1.15 p.m.,
for two reasons. One reason is to make sketches,
and the other reason is to study the English life —
44 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
especially about the relation between iiigh and low
John Bullesses. No sooner than the curtain drops
many upper-class John Bullesses in their beautiful
dresses are coming out to their carriages, and more
numbers of the lower-class John Bullesses are
watching the former on the pavement. I overhear
the criticisms loudly and freely uttered by the
lower-class John Bullesses, They are simply the
admiration. It is quite surprising matter to me
that there are not many " foxes and grapes."
Very seldom I notice some sneering faces. But
I think they are not real John Bullesses, so far as
my prejudgment goes ; they may be some aliens.
Anyhow, I am one of the admirers of very orderly
and systematic John Bullesses and Bulls. There
is one thing I so reluctantly admit. That is to
say, you have some circle which denies everybody
and everything British. I hear their opinion is
" socialistic," and " universal love." It sounds
awfully well. I mean, only if they are very sin-
cere to themselves. But I know personally a few
people in this circle. To my great disappointment,
and moreover to my grievance, they are very
insincere. They are only sneering at everything
and everybody. Their mind is not in perfect
health. It is a kind of dreadful plague or pest.
May I call them " the self-destroyers of their own
country " ? Because I see they are doing much
SOCIAL LIFE 45
damage to their own country, but I don't see at all
that they do any good to this world, I mean, by
their so-called " universal love."
When I was a school-boy, I learnt the physical
geography. The school-teacher said, " The globe
is round." I said, " It is impossible. Look at
our high Fuji Mountain, and that deep Pacific
Ocean ! " But he told me those mountains and
oceans count very little to this large globe, and
that it is quite right to say it is round. Now I
think I am quite right to say that Britains are
orderly and systematic in spite of those shameful
betrayers.
1 used to have full curiosity upon the young
John Bullesses. If I was introduced to a young
John Bulless, she would write me thus : " My
mother wants me to tell you she would like to
have tea with you on so-and-so date." 1 visited
on them on the fixed date. It was true that her
mother had tea with us. But mother would go off
imniediately after the tea. I had no chance to
talk with her. It was the young John Bulless
who talked to me all the time. I felt rather
strange.
One day the final trick befell upon me. I got
the usual invitation of " for the sake of her
mother." But this time, to my surprise, mother
did not appear at all. I was told she was out. So
46 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
I came to the conclusion to believe that " mother "
meant the young John Bulless herself. I often
witnessed more critical event. One of my young
John Bull friends proposed to a young John
Bulless. He informed me her answer was she
wanted to ask " mother." The next information
was that " mother " could not agree.
I said, " I say, it is rather a hard line with
mother. John Bullesses bring all unpleasant part
upon their mother. I am sure I would not or
could not be John Bullesses' mother."
Perhaps those mother John Bullesses had the
same trick upon their mothers in their youthful
day, and the present young John Bullesses shall be
mothers, and they shall be revenged by their
daughters quite soon. The reason is very very
simple. Even in such a free country like England,
there are some conventionalities — especially between
the different sexes. Surely they themselves are
quite safe, but they are much afraid of the outside
folks who so often make stupid gossip about them.
And tender and gentle John Bullesses are trying
hard to be out of the focus of those nonsensical
gossips. Indeed, more than once, I heard their
complaint, " As long as those foundless gossips are
uttered by every one's lips, we can not do our
work much in this world."
I sincerely sympathise with them. It must be
SOCIAL LIFE 47
frightfully awkward for those innocent and pure-
hearted John BuUesses. I loudly speak out that
those who create stupid rumours have much lower
morals themselves. For people always imagine the
others with their own heart. 1 shall call England
" really civilised country " when all those rumours
and gossips are swept away. Until then I shall
hold up my tongue. I say this absolutely and not
comparatively. I am not comparing England with
any other countries, for England is leading this
moral far ahead in this world.
Lately, to my surprise, I met a plucky young
John Bulless. She never brought her mother as
the way of medium. She wrote me, " Will you
come to have tea with me ? I want to talk with
you." So I went to talk with her. Certainly she
has very progressive ideas, and she can not stand
under the old conventions. She ignores all oppo-
sition against her. As I cannot describe her
accurately with my broken English, the reader
may easily imagine she is some sort of advanced
woman. I know that kind of woman quite well.
She is most unbearable. But this John Bulless
whom I am talking, is entirely different from the
others. She is well brought up in a good family,
and in spite of her pluckiness and progressiveness,
she has that sweet and charming nature of all the
gentlest women. Her conversation is pleasant
48 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
because it is absolutely on literature and art —
especially of the latest fashions. I wonder if she
is quite an exceptional John Bulless, or are all
younger John Bullesses progressing in that way ?
I wish it would be the latter. I know there are
quite many ablest John Bullesses. Only I wish
the other stupid gossip-manufacturers would not
prevent them doing some great works together
with men. My idealed civilisation shall come soon
then.
Once upon a time in Japan, there was a great
poet philosopher called Rikiu. When he was a
boy he was working under a high priest in some
famous temple. Some notable guests were to come
to that temple. The priest ordered Rikiu to sweep
the garden well. It was early in autumn. The
boy tried to sweep every leaf fallen on the garden.
But the more he swept the more were falling. It
was hopeless for him to make the ground spotlessly
neat. He philosophied himself, and shook all the
trees. Lo, the garden ground was thickly covered
with red and golden autumn leaves. The High
Priest and his guests enjoyed this poetically swept
garden. The moral of the different sexes is
same with those autumn leaves. Indeed, since
the day of Confucius we have been trying to sweep
off the need for secret meetings. But the more
we try, the more ugly events happen. We could
jj. /f^M
r^i^^*^}
Ufiiiiii
I'f' / /. / s~ 7=J «H» .
SOCIAL LIFE 49
not see our idealed garden with pure and spotless
ground for the last three thousand years, and we
shall never be able to see in future, too. On the
other hand, the English garden of the mixed life
is as poetic and beautiful as that of Rikiu's. Only
if there were not any silly rumours and gossips
it would be still neater.
As I was born in the country of the fixed mar-
riages, I could not imagine rightly about the free
marriage system until I came to England and wit-
nessed it with my own eyes. I used to have many
a question such as — Sociable people will win every-
thing of course, but how is about those quiet, shy,
or modest people, and those slow temperament
people ?
I hear it is the men's duty to propose women.
Then couldn't the women have power to choose
their future husband }
After having observed the English life for four-
teen years I am now answering to all my own
questions. As this book is for the woman, I shall
write only the woman's side. Whether they are
very sociable or very shy, the luck comes to them
quite equally. Indeed, many of my young John
Bulless friends have been getting married one after
another every year. Every one of them had dif-
ferent nature, though.
One afternoon I went to Hyde Park and I
50 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
amused myself by watching the storks. They have
such a slow temperament. They never chase after
fishes, but they are standing in shallow water in-
stead, and waiting until some fish comes near to
them. Then they pick up their prey. It seems
to me they have foolishly slow temperament, but
to my delight they are never starved. 1 saw one
of them catch big fish twice in twenty minutes.
On the other hand, look at the ducks. They are
much harder workers. They dive into the water
every minute and chase after fish to catch. I said
to myself, " What diflferent natures they have !
Yet how equally is their luck ! Human life is
exactly the same ! Only the one who faithfully
obeys to her nature shall get the best luck."
Now about the second question, whether John
BuUesses have power to choose their future hus-
bands or not } I was awfully mistaken. For John
BuUesses have more power of wooing than men.
If they have the power to control men's passion,
they can encourage the men just as well. The
women's helm steers the human boat very sharply.
It was true what I have heard that men have to
propose, while the women are silent. But I have
observed definitely that John BuUesses are wooing
in every way, and put men into cross-examination
to confess. Once I observed a very timid man got
courage to propose. It seemed as easy as for me
SOCIAL LIFE 51^
to put my own signature on some finished picture
by Turner or Corot ! " 1 see, I see," I said to
one John Bulless. "After all, you are not in
miserable position as I used to imagine ! "
Another question of mine was that in the free-
marriage country some plain-looking girls might
have harder luck than those beautiful girls. I sin-
cerely feel very sorry for the former that it is so to
some certain degree. But there is not much dis-
appointment for them after all. For the gentle
and sympathetic hearts conquer the beauty in shape.
One might have too short nose or too big mouth,
but if she has a beautiful heart that imperfectness
of her face sweetens her charms even more. Indeed
this sort of charm attracts men more than those
beauties of deadly hard marble statues !
Therefore those who have sincere hearts shall
win their luck quite easily.
As the result of free marriage I have found most
unexpected phenomena in my very idealed John
Bullesses. I mean those who are most charming
and beautiful, yet who have very sincere and pathetic
hearts. Why.-' Well, let me tell you. Perhaps
the beauties who can enjoy the vain life, or who are
hard-hearted, have the best time because all the
men flatter them and flirt them. And if they like
they may be able to break hundred hearts. I have
nothing to say with this sort of woman. But what
52 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
about those beautiful John BuUesses who have sin-
cere hearts and higher philosophy ? They can not
enjoy these vainly flirting lives. Yet many men
would go to them and pay all sorts of compliments
for their beauty, after more or less the manner of
wild animals. Very few sincere men indeed would
go to them. On the other hand, beautiful John
Bullesses may have plenty of unsuspected enemies.
1 know several of this sort of John Bulless. They
are often lamenting that it is difficult to get real
friends. I know their hearts are rebelling secretly,
and I sympathise them very much.
CHAPTER IV
JOHN BULLESS AS MY TEACHER
T70R the last fourteen years the John Bullesses
have been my teachers in many ways, and they
shall be in the future too. First of all I have
studied the English from them. Men are gener-
ally too impatient to teach the language ; they
would pass any bad pronunciations. Therefore if
I trust the men teachers and believe that I can
speak the English quite well, it gives me an
astonishing mistake. John Bullesses are different,
and I have more confidence upon them. They
would make me pronounce one word for a
hundred or two hundred times until I can
really pronounce it. Especially for such a hope-
lessly dense one on the foreign language as
myself, the John Bullesses are the great help. It
has been their hard task to bring me up to this
point. I mean I am now able, though not without
difficulty, to sew up each word which is in the stock
of my head and make a ragged dress for my ideas.
I often rebel against myself. For all my neighbours
are wearing beautifully sewn dresses of the English.
53
54 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
I asked one of my intimate John Bullesses to lend
me her sewing-machine. She shook her head and
said, " We English people always prefer your hand-
made dresses ! " I don't know whether it is kind
of her or not. I may frankly take it as her cruelty
if she stops my English lessons. However, the
John Bullesses have taught me many English slangs.
Until then I used to make awful mistakes. For
instance, when I heard first time the people saying
" Great Scott 1 " I thought that meant one who has
taken too much whisky !
The other day a newly-arrived Japanese was
asking the meaning of" Bob." I said, " It is a quite
new word since the African War. The gold piece
represents the Sovereign, while the shilling repre-
sents Lord Roberts." My John Bulless friend
interfered with a killingly amazed face, and pointed
out my mistake. I lost the confidence on my
English from my Japanese friends I
One of my Japanese friends came over here a
few months ago. He said he was learning the
English lessons from his landlady. I said he was
very wise to make a John Bulless as his teacher.
He lowered his voice and whispered me, " I have
learnt a horrible thing from my landlady. She
said the English people eat cats ! "
I said, " Certainly not. She must be an alien.
Don't study the English from her any more."
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 55
" But, my dear Markino, she is English."
" Then she ought not to eat cats."
" Well, she herself does not eat cats. But her
neighbours do. Every morning a man with a
basket comes to our next door and makes a dis-
agreeable voice, * Mew, meat ! ' I asked my land-
lady what that was. She said it was the cat's
meat ! "
I said to my friend, " She is English after all,
and is quite safe, to my relief ! "
I myself often make this sort of mistake even
now. Only last year when King Edward died and
was lying in state in Westminster I wanted to go
there and see him. I went with my John Bulless
friends to Westminster by the Underground.
They said, " We ought to go to * kew.' " I said,
'*What a hard job for us. Let us take a train
there ! "
One of them said, " O no, let us walk ! "
I grumbled very much, because it seemed too
foolish to walk all way to Kew. But they never
listened to me, and said, " Kew might be quite
near." I could not make it out until they taught
me the word queue — a quite new word to me !
My life in London is different from those tourists
who are dragged round by the Cook's guide and
say " farewell " within a week. No, from the first
day I intended to settle down here. Therefore I
56 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
sincerely wanted to learn and obey to the English
customs, though all my English friends are always
ready to forgive my unaccustomed manners. Still
it is my etiquette to be polite. That is why I am
always asking everything to the John Bullcsses, and
they are kindly teaching me every time, and they
never laugh at my^gnorance. I am much appreciat-
ing their sincerity.
As I wrote in my last book {A Japanese Artist in
London) I used to live in Greenwich, and thence I
attended to the Japanese Naval Office in morning,
then to the night school of the Goldsmith Institute.
It was nearly eleven o'clock every night when I
arrived to my diggings. I was deadly tired. The
landlord asked me every evening, " How were you
getting on with your work to-day .'' " I always
answered him every small detail of my work at the
office and the school. One day I said to my land-
lady, " Why is your husband giving me such a
troublesome question ? You see I often feel too
tired to answer."
She patted me and said, " My poor boy, you
need not give him all information of your work.
It is our custom to say, * How are you getting
on } ' and if you simply say, * All right,' that will
be quite enough."
The next evening the old man put the same
question upon me. At first I rather hesitated,
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 57
because I thought such an abrupt answer might
offend him. But I got courage at last when I saw
his wife giving me some sign in her eyes. I
shouted loudly, " All right." To my surprise, the
old man seemed more satisfied than to hear all the
details ! Since this event I began to incline to
have more friendship with John Bullesses than
John Bulls.
There are two kinds of John Bullesses. One
is quite conscious that I am the different sex.
This sort of John Bulless treats me as a man,
and I feel shy and queer. I cannot enjoy myself.
The other John Bullesses are excellent. They
treat me as one of themselves. They tell me all
about their ideas to make new dresses, hats, etc.
I am having very happy time with them, and they
are my best teachers for everything. I can talk
about and ask them all sorts of things which I
cannot disclose to my men friends. There is very
plain reason. My age is now getting old enough
to know everything, and frankly my philosophical
head is more or less developed. Therefore men
think I ought not to ask a trifle thing in our daily
life. More than once some men laughed at me
when I asked some questions (seriously, though).
They suspected I was " acting." They have quite
forgotten what life I have been leading. First ot
all I am a foreigner, and am absolutely ignorant
58 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
of the English custom. Secondly, my poverty has
forbidden me for the last thirteen years to get into
the social life. Only the John Bullesses see my
present condition — quite a baby in one way. It
was one of them who taught me not to wear a
made-up tie in England, and what sorts of suits
to wear on each event which is happening in my
daily life nowadays. In the theatres, restaurant,
or in the parks, it is my John Bulless friends who
always point out some fashions and criticise them.
It is one of the most valuable lessons for my arts.
On those days when I had a very poor life in
Greenwich or Kensal Rise my landladies used to
take me to Saturday night markets. It was one
of my greatest pleasures then to take a basket or
bag and follow after them to shopping some Sunday
provisions. I learnt some lessons — how those John
Bullesses are making sufficiently sweet home with
insufficient wage of their husbands. Another plea-
sure of mine was to help them to iron the pina-
fores of their children or wash the dishes to lessen
the too heavy work for those poor John Bullesses.
I have shared joys and sorrows together with them
for more than ten years. Now I want to appeal
to all the English publics for the sake of those
simple and sincere John Bullesses. I shall write
fully about this in the future chapter under the
title of " Suffragette. "
:tX>
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 59
When I was living in New Cross I had a young
John Bulless friend, and we used to have a walk
together. She often exclaimed, " No, thanks,
gentlemen 1 We don't want to be followed by
you.
I asked, " What are you talking about } "
" Well, don't look back. They will notice you.
But some men have been following after us ! "
Once or twice I had a chance to look back and
see " men following after us." I said, " Nonsense !
How do you know that ^ Perhaps they have to
walk just the same direction with us. I am afraid
you are prejudging ! "
" Oh no, they are following us."
I never believed this until I went to Paris. In
Paris I stayed in the flat of my French lady friend.
One day we had walk on Rue Royale. She said
to me, " Some men are following after us 1" I
looked back. Three men were walking slowly
towards us, about one hundred yards off. I said,
" Certainly they are not. I heard the same story
from my John Bulless friend some years ago. But
I never believed her. Why you women are so
prejudging ! "
My French friend was rather up-straight woman.
" Well, I shall clear off your suspicions upon
the John Bulless as well as myself. Let us sit
down and have cafe'^
6o MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
So we took the seats at Cafe Weber. The three
men arrived only a minute later and took the seats
very near us. They began to make very vulgar
remarks on us. My friend whispered to me,
" How do you think now .'' This is quite enough.
Let us go home."
When I asked the bill to the gaffOH the three
men asked the bill at the same time. They were
intending to follow us again. Only, to their dis-
appointment, we took a taxie and got rid of them.
I always say women are much sharper observers
than myself. They would make very good detec-
tives.
I have something more to tell the reader about
my French friend and the John Bullesses. The
French women are very practical and industrious,
and my friend was no exception. She was sewing
all day and used to make beautiful dresses. One
day I was watching her work. She said to me,
" You see I make all my dresses. Could your John
BuUess friends do the same ? "
I said, " Perhaps not. I am afraid they don't
know even how to hold the needle. Anyhow, they
are very clever to write."
She broke in, " What use for women to write ir
they could not sew ? Who would look after their
houses then ? — except they are millionaires ! "
I could give her no answer, as it seemed to me
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 6i
there was some sense in it. In fact, John Bullesses
don't look to me as if they can hold needles when
they have long necks, and shoulders like Greek
Goddess. When I came back to London, I re-
peated all these stories to my John Bulless friends.
They were very angry with me, because I lied !
For the revenge (very sweet revenge, though) the
John Bullesses wanted to do sewing business for
me. And they mended all my clothes. Remem-
bering the lecture of my French friend, I examined
their sewing. The line was as straight as a rule,
and each stitch was exactly same length. They
were the experts and not amateurs at all. 1 wrote
to my French friend immediately, asking her
pardon that I made a false statement about my
John Bulless friends !
As I said in the first article, the John Bulless is
very lively. Last year I travelled in Italy with a
party of five. Two of them were young John
Bullesses. About ascending or descending the
mountainous roads, I yielded to their activity.
About ascending I did nearly same with them (not
more, though). But about descending they were mar-
vellous. It was absolutely hopeless for me to follow
after them. Those two John Bullesses alternately
began to help me by taking my arm, or sometimes
offering me their umbrellas, and they themselves
walked on without them. I looked around, as I
62 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
was very nervous if any one was watching us. I
felt awfully ashamed of myself. For it was the
most shameful record on the men's history that I
should be helped by the pretty young John
Bullesses !
It seems to me the John Bullesses go out when-
ever they have nothing to do indoors. If I pay
visit upon them without any notice I very seldom
find them at home. Rain does not make the
exception for their walk. I am very grateful for
that, for it is my most favourite subject to paint the
John Bullesses in rain or in fogs. Nothing could
be more romantic than to watch them in foggy day.
You can see nothing but vast semi-transparent
fogs, like a sheet of the wrapping-paper. Then
some shadowy figure appears. The nearer the
figure approaches to you the more detail you begin
to observe. Then when she passes just before you,
you see a charming face, deeply enveloped by thick
fur (John Bullesses look more charming in fog than
ever, because it gives their faces nice colour). Then
she is gradually melted away into a shadow scarcely
darker than the colour of air, and vanishes
altogether in the next minute.
I understand one cannot wait some urgent
business until the rain or fogs clear up. But the
rain cannot stop John Bullesses, for they would not
mind wet days for pleasure walks. If I make
I y i- H V
%
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 63
appointment to walk in the park or on the commons
my John Bulless friends never fail on account of
the rain. Sometimes they play golf in pouring
rain whole morning ! This is a great astonishment.
Of course it must be remembered their dresses are
different from those of Japanese girls, and just fancy
a Japanese girl walking in rain ! The cosmetics on
her hair would be washed down to her face. All her
beautiful silk dress would be soaked. She would
give the same effect with that angel on Castel Sant'
Angelo !
As long as the John BuUesses are opening their
eyes they are always active. But there is only one
place where one can see them very still and quiet.
Go to the box or the wing of the dress circle and
watch those John Bullesses in stalls during the
performance. They are all sitting motionless in the
shape of the Cassiopeia stars in gloomy light. It is
very effective, and I have often enjoyed seeing them
more than some poor plays !
A few years ago when I lived with my elderly
fellow artist, we often talked about the question of
women. I said to him, " I don't care much for
some old women. When the men get older they
become more generous and more philosophical.
The women are reverse. Those young girls are
very "charming and have broad minds, ready to for-
give anything. But when they get older seven out
64 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
of ten become very selfish. They speak very
disagreeable things." Thereupon, my friend replied
me promptly, " Hear, hear ! I am always thinking
in the same way with you. When the romance in
women's hearts dies out, they become merely
vinegar ! "
I told this to one of my young John Bullesses.
She was very indignant. " We women never
change our mind by age. It is your own part
which is changing according to the age of women.
I notice that in you very often. When a charming
young girl speaks to you, you listen to her very
eagerly. Even when she says really rude things,
you always accept her with a jolly good heart. And
if an elder lady opposes against you about a trifle
thing, immediately you change your countenance.
I know sometimes you would feel not quite willing
to open the door for an old lady, and always you
are willing even to sacrifice your own life for the
sake of some charming girl. You ought to be
ashamed of yourself ! "
When I was alone in my room I thought her
lecture over very carefully, and it seemed to me
there was truth to some certain degree. So I
apologised to that young John Bulless, and pro-
mised her to behave myself more fairly in future.
I have been keeping this promise quite honestly,
and I feel 1 am getting more or less tamed. How-
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 65
ever, I have something to say about some old
ladies. I don't say every one. Perhaps one
among ten thousands. But in such a thick popu-
lation like London it is not seldom to see " one
among ten thousands." I mean one who stands at
the entrance of the omnibuses. She knows quite
well that she cannot get off while the 'bus is in
motion. Yet she covers the place with herself,
stretching her both hands to the railings, and she
makes many busy youngsters unable to get off.
The latter are often carried to long distance. The
lady herself knows that ; more than once I heard
somebody say from behind her back, "Thank
you ! " But she never moves. She thinks this
whole world, including that 'bus, is made especially
for herself. The British public is very polite.
They dare not utter grumplaining words to old
ladies. But 1 have often observed some withered
faces behind the lady, and when the focus of their
eyes comes together they smile for the comfort of
each other's sympathy. I have never seen the
young John Bullesses stand still on the doorway of
'buses. They are modest enough to stay in, or
lively enough to jump off, while the 'buses are in
motion.
By the way, about the modestncss of the young
John Bulless I want to mention a few things. The
other day I took my Japanese friend to one of my
F
66 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
young John Bulless friends. When we were
leaving her house she wanted to help my Japanese
friend to put on his overcoat. He moved back,
saying, " No, no, no."
Next time when I saw that John Bulless she said
to me, " Your friend was awfully shy, wasn't he .'' "
I told this to my Japanese friend. He said, '* I
have travelled in all the Western world, but that
was the very first time that a lady tried to help my
overcoat. I thought it was extraordinarily modest
of her. That was why I could not accept her
voluntary offer."
We have saying in Japan, ** One who lives in the
room of flowers does not realise the scent." It is
true in my case. As I have been in England for
such a long time I have begun to un-notice the
fragrant John Bullesses. But a stranger like my
friend, who just opened the door of England and
came in, he appreciated the modestness of John
Bullesses more than myself. Since this event I
began to recollect my life In California. I re-
mem.ber I and another Japanese took a cable car in
San Francisco. Many people were standing, but
my friend, seeing an empty seat, sat himself down.
We did not see there was one lady standing. She
immediately struck my friend's knee hardly with
her umbrella and demanded him to give up his
seat to her.
JOHN BULLESS AS MT TEACHER 6j
This sort of comic-tragedy we never see in
England. Indeed, I so often see most respectable
and delicate ladies standing in the tube cars while
some men are sitting, and whenever I give seats to
them they heartily thank me, and sometimes they
would not accept unless I offer them twice or three
times.
If the John Bull travelled all over the world and
came back again he would realise and appreciate the
modestness of his sister John Bulless !
CHAPTER V
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES
HAT a merry month was June of 191 1 !
It shall never be forgotten as long as this
human world is existing, I mean as the Great
Britain is existing. (Practically and logically this
has the same meaning.) For it was the Coronation
month. The Coronation for the most peace-loving
King and the most tender-hearted Queen ! Merry
and joyful must be all the very loyal Britons and
so must be the foreigners all over the world as
well.
By the way, am I a foreigner ? Yes, so I am.
I have nearly forgotten that ! Anyhov/, I think I
am less foreigner than some real foreigners because
first of all our countries are allied. Then I have
been in their Majesties' country nearly half of my
life. My flesh and bones are entirely made with
the British substances by this time, so the medical
science says, and my heart and brain are more
Britonised by many kind-hearted John Bulless
friends. Why then should I not be loyal to the
Queen of the John Bullesses as much as the most
68
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 69
loyal Britions ? Do you say I am getting less
patriotic to my own country ? Nonsense ! It
makes me so grieved to think that there are many
fools who misunderstand the word " Patriotic " as
the "fighting spirit" with the neighbouring country.
Don't you know friend- making is far more patriotic ?
So let us all (including my little self) be united to
celebrate this historically merry month !
My heart was full of joys — so must be yours.
By the way, I have quite forgotten that the sizes
of our hearts are different. Mine is very small
one. Those who have bigger hearts can naturally
speak out more merry words. But I cannot keep
absolutely silent either, for although my heart is
small, joys are overflowing from it. So I forget
everything — even myself.
May the graceful Queen forgive my dreadfully
ragged English, for my heart is in the full-uniform
before Her Majesty !
For this special month of Coronation I have
decided to write about the Windsor Castle which the
Queen of the John Bullesses dearly loves.
I knew the name Windsor Castle since I was a
schoolboy in Japan. An American missionary gave
me a Christmas card ; the chromotype picture of
the Windsor Castle was on it. I framed it and
hanged it in my room, and I valued it very much.
Readers, you may laugh, for such a Christmas card
70 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
is so common to you. But to me, it was more
precious than the Japanese prints to you. You
can get any amounts of the Japanese prints here
now. But at that time (twenty-two years ago) we
could not get such a Christmas card with money.
The Castle in that picture seemed to me most
enormous size, especially because we, the school-
boys, lived in a toy-like house. Beneath the pic-
ture I wrote a line from a famous Chinese poetry
in To Dynasty : —
Unless you see the grandeur
And splendour of the Palace
You shall not know-
how high and how noble
is the Emperor.
I never dreamed then that I should get the
chance to-day to witness this " enormous castle "
with my own eyes !
My editor friends said, " We shall take you
there and show you everything."
" Everything ? "
" Yes. The gardens, inside of castle, chapel,
and everything are open to the public on some
certain days."
Alas ! Mencius was gone two thousand years
ago ! If he was alive to-day to hear this how
delighted would he be ! Here is the quotation
from the Book of Mencius : —
WINDSOR CASTLE.
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 71
" King Sen of Sei asked Mencius and said, * I
hear the garden of King Bun was seven miles
square. Was that so ? '
" Mencius said, * Yes, it is written so in the
history.'
" * How large it was 1 '
" * Well, the public thought it was still too
small.'
" * My garden is only four miles square, yet the
nation think it is too large. Why is that } '
" Mencius replied, * Yes, the garden of King
Bun was seven miles square, and all the nation was
permitted to enjoy itself in it, therefore no wonder
the people thought it was not large enough. When
I arrived at the boundary of your country I learnt
all your national law from an officer. I heard your
Majesty had a garden of four miles square. No
people were allowed to get in, and if one gave
harm to the animals, birds, or even to the trees,
he is put unto death. I cannot call such a ground
"garden." It is practically a trap. The people
would feel even four yards square trap too much for
them. No wonder why they are complaining about
such a tremendous trap of four miles square ! ' "
Mencius was lecturing the kings for all his life.
He has left many books behind. Great philoso-
phers were born from time to time and added
hundreds books. But has his idea ever been
72 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
practised either in China or Japan ? How very
strange and delightful to find his doctrine really-
practised in this far, far Western country where
Mencius is not counted among its sages 1 Some
twenty years ago it was merely a dream of mine
when I read the book of Mencius to imagine a
most peacefully and gracefully reigning sovereign.
To-day in England it has come true for me to
witness it.
Could such a little stranger like myself be allowed
to have a glimpse of the Honourable Castle of the
Queen of the John Bullesses .''
One Saturday lately I enthusiastically accepted
the invitation of my editorial friends for motoring
to the Old Windsor. Our party was composed
with two editorial friends and the wife of one of
them — for I claimed there should be a John Bulless
— and my little self. We started from Hammer-
smith early in the morning. One of them was an
excellent steerer, and we went on splendidly until
we came to Brooklands, where one of the wheels
was cracked with cannon-like sound ! It was such
a hard work for that young fellow to change the
tyre. The perspiration was flowing all over his
inflammated red face. The John Bulless was
soothing him all the while. When everything was
ready the young fellow jumped on the car and said,
" John Bullesses always keep my temper down 1 "
•'>S^,*'
"Mw!^
Ti I )7* i'-ii.- ,'-., i"^- \*r -. ' -/i
YiC ~\^'4^^^ J'Ury-i^
■^ X?';:^^
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 73
I was so glad then she was with us, or else there
might be left nothing of me I
No sooner than our car passed Chertsey than
I already began to notice neatness, freshness, and
sweetness of the Nature. The severe winter was
gone only a few days ago, and these five or seven
sunny days had brought the tender cobalt-greens all
over the woods. Here and there the masses of pine
trees were distinguishing themselves with their dark
and strong colour. Two or three of them were
overhanging their vine-like branches right across the
road. Who would believe this undusty Nature was
only half an hour reach from the greatest me-
tropolis !
Our car stopped ! Was another tyre broken ?
No, not this time. I was told we were at Virginia
Water. We went into a little cottage-restaurant.
We had a glass of whisky and soda-water each as
the signatures of passport ! and crossed the cottage
and a little garden.
There a vast view of the lake ! The water
reflected the whole view, even the dots of clouds,
clearer than a mirror. Two white geese were
sailing forward breaking the reflections into myste-
rious tones. Just beyond the green bank I saw two
hatless heads of country boys. As I walked for-
wards I found out their bodies — they were enjoying
their sun-bath.
74 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Seeing this, again I recollected Confucius. Once
upon a time Confucius had dinner with all his
pupils and after the dinner they all sat down easily
and began to discuss freely all what they were
imagining. Some pupil desired to be a general of
a million warriors, some to be politicians, etc. There
was a favourite pupil of Confucius called So-Tets.
Confucius said to him, " S5-Tets, why art thou
silent ? Tell me what thou thinkest ? "
So-Tets said, " My ambition is too humble to
mention. I only wish to lie down on the green
bank of the lake and enjoy the calmful spring."
Confucius exclaimed, " I, too, have the same
ambition with thee ! "
By this he meant his only desire was the most
peaceful reign of the king.
An old man in a porter's uniform came to us
and pointed the opposite side of the lake, and said
that was the favourite part of the Queen and that
Her Majesty often came there to have tea. I just
bent my knee down looking towards that beautiful
spot ! After seeing that famous beauty of the
cascade we drove to Windsor immediately. I
swallowed my luncheon in a few minutes, for I was
so excited to see the castle.
Now we were ready to see the Old Windsor
Castle at last. The plan of the entrance from
Henry VllI gate resembled with those old Japanese
J ■"■'■X-.... .'4. >^ / m ^v
U>-tM^ j^iUf f^j ^ . ^ (t..^j^
^^^ "7^ !^;^ ^ h-^
QUEEN OF JHE JOHN BULLESSES 75
castles so much, only I found the scale was larger
and the colour of the stone buildings seemed so
vivid in the sun, they looked more like guinea-fowls'
feathers. We went into the St. George's Chapel
first of all. Dignity and sacredness combined with
the high art — that was my immediate impression
there ! I could not help recollecting my visit to
Italy last year. I have seen many beautiful archi-
tectures in those churches everywhere I visited.
But never I felt this sincere divinity there ! No-
thing could be more suitable for the House of
God than Gothics. However, there was some
more reason. Because it was the sanctuary of the
sovereigns of the greatest nation in the world.
And because I pay to their Majesties all the
sincerest loyalty from my humble heart ! I crept
a few steps up to the choir. My eyes were caught
by the grandeur and magnificence of the wood-
carving decorations. Gradually my eyes began to
gaze upon the ceiling — the finest specimen of
Gothic art — I started to count the banners from
the opposite corner. When 1 turned my head all
round and to the final point directly upon myself
something made me feel so happy. Yes, my heart
swelled high with happiness. It was the new
banner of the King and Queen.
r have some story for these banners. About
two months and half ago, Mr. Cooper of the Royal
^^6 MY WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
School of Art and Needlework invited me to his
school. He came down to greet me at the door.
I saw in the first floor many specimens of the
beautiful needleworks done by the students. Then
in a large room on the second floor many young
John Bullesses were actually working the embroi-
dery. Mr. Cooper and the tutors told me that
was not all, but they had some special things to
show me. We went into another room. There
I saw those two royal banners were almost finished.
They were carefully covered. The tutors explained
me what a great attention was taken to produce
these beautiful banners. Mr. Cooper seemed very
proud and said to me, " I invited you to our school
for some reasons. You said in your first article
that you had no chance to see the school girls' life.
That is one reason, but the greater reason is our
John Bullesses here are all very loyal to the King
and Queen, and certainly you must be pleased to
hear that, because you are a Japanese."
I answered every remark of his in the positive.
Now, seeing the very same banners in the Choir
of St. George I felt so happy. The brilliant em-
broiderings seemed to me almost sparkling, for I
knew the loyal John Bullesses who had made them.
We came out from St. George's to the open
ground under the round tower. I saw the beautiful
flower-beds in the moat beneath. My editorial
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 77
friend explained me that the moat was to introduce
the water during the war time. I saw no water
except that tiny twinkling spring to keep a few
golden fishes, all other parts were covered with
all sorts of flowers. I don't know the English
names for those, though most of them have been
my acquaintances since I was in Japan.
Mauve, pink, yellow, and white — what a beautiful
carpet woven by the Nature's hands ! How very
pleasing to see the ground especially made for the
war purpose to be turned into the beauty of the
Nature ! It is far more delightful to see it than
the garden made as garden from the first. For we
all love the Peace — the Peace which has conquered the
wars — not that timidness which prefers peace to war.
What a glorious view has the North Terrace 1 A
man began to explain us " where is what," pointing
out every detail in a vast spring haze. I myself
did not care much about the geographical study.
So I leaned against the stone parapet and let my
dreaming soul wander into the happy mist which
concealed " several counties " (which, according to
the guide, ought to be seen clearly).
Did I want to see the Stateroom ? Of course I
did ! We four followed after a uniformed guide.
The inside architectures of the palace seemed to
me so new as if they were built only last year.
I repeated my question if they were repaired re-
78 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
cently ? I was told they were not repaired, but a
great care was taken. Was that all ? Then that
was a new lesson to me. Whenever we see old
corrupted ruins we always say, " that's by age."
Hereafter I shall say, " that's by negligence "
instead of " age." Those wonderful collections of
armours reminded me I was in the great Castle.
And I thought those stags' heads, big ivories, etc.,
show well that that was the royal castle of the great
sportsman-nation. When we came to the picture
rooms I had such a great reluctance that we should
have to follow the guide. For that guide was
reading the" explanation " ever too quick — just like
the Buddhist monks reciting their daily creed. I
had no chance to stay before one picture more than
half a minute. The collection seemed the very
best, but we had to pass on like a cinematograph. I
did earnestly wish that I could be allowed to see all
the masterpieces more carefully some day. How-
ever, I noticed a fev/ things in that quick running
tour. That was especially about Rubens. Hither-
to I used to look down upon Rubens' works. No
matter how skilful his brush might be, the bottom
of his idea was far more immoral than the Pompeian
arts (I am going to discuss this matter fully in a
book called My Second Tour in Italy). But here in
the Windsor Castle, the subjects of Rubens' pictures
were absolutely pure and sacred ! So I could look
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 79
at them with a John BuUess friend together quite
comfortably.
The two portraits by Holbein (one Henry VIII.
and the other a youth) magnetised me and it was
hard to depart from them. When I looked back
all my parties were there no longer, so I had to walk
on. How pity that I had to pass on before that
big masterpiece, Charles /, by Vandyck !
Perhaps the guard room gave me the strongest
impression that 1 was in the mighty royal palace.
How many steps to climb up the round tower .''
I did count them half-way up, then I gave it up. It
seemed to me awfully high, especially on such a
warm spring day. However, no one would repent
when he reached the top, for it is the very spot to
see the picturesque Surrey.
The next places we were guided to were the
Royal Stables. Many a most beautiful horse was
living in the neatly kept stables ! We saw every
one of them and came to the riding-school. The
porter pointed the gallery, raised up high on the
opposite side, and said, " The late Queen Victoria
used to sit down there and watch her grand-
children driving." My imagination went on so
far that I could see my mental picture of the Queen
Victoria there. I kneeled and nodded my head.
A gate door was open, and when I passed it I
found myself in the street again.
8o MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Now we were to see the great Windsor Park I
We were driven slowly but comfortably on the
ribbon-like white road between the ever-green bed
of the Park. The car stopped at a poetic-looking
gate of an awfully English style. We walked to
the right for a few minutes. There we saw a very
romantic view — a tall and slender tower standing
on the top of a hill. The sun was showing its ray
so freely upon the tower until it looked quite golden,
and the green grasses beneath looked more green
by the contrast. I said, " What a happy-looking
tower it is ! "
My editorial friend replied in a solemn tone,
" Henry VIII used to keep his wives there, and
they all disappeared one after another."
I said, " Oh ! the word * disappear ' sounds rather
uncomfortable, but one who can live in such a place
together with his wife for all his life must be the
luckiest in this world."
We went into still more woodie-place. We were
absolutely buried underneath the newly born foli-
ages. Through the tiny holes between the thick
green leaves the sun was penetrating its beams
straight down. They were just like those ropes
from the top of shipmasts to the decks. Here and
there and everywhere the little birds were singing
joyous songs with their clear voices. O, how
very refreshing it was to my world-tired soul ! Evi-
Q^^xisi Co^-^-^^/O-^^-^—-
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 8i
dently the full spring was come to the tops of the
trees. But on the ground low beneath, nothing
much was awakened from the winter bed yet. Only
here and there young ferns timidly came out from
the cool moisted ground in the shape of question
marks.
On the spot where the driving road was curving
there was one tree surrounded by wooden benches.
My friend told me that was the tree Queen Adelaide
planted. Two metal plates were stuck on the tree
for commemoration of the royal honour which the
tree had received. One of the plates was nearly
eaten in by the bark. When we looked westward
we saw an open space of the foliage, and there was
the glorious view of the old Windsor Castle.
Our guide told us that that was the favourite
spot of the late Queen Victoria as well as of Her
Majesty Queen Mary.
*' The Queens of the John Bullesses know what
the Nature's beauty is 1" I exclaimed. When-
ever my English friends discuss about landscape
they always say, " O, your country. O, Japan ! "
Yes, I am very proud of the landscape of my
country. But even in Japan you cannot find such
a beauty as Windsor everywhere. At least, I have
never seen such gracious and benevolent trees
when I was in Japan.
I began to study each tree there. I paced my
82 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
eyes from the ground to the very tcp. They are
quite living, and not like those smoked trees in
London. 1 liked the colour of living trees so
much, and lo ! their height ! And how well de-
veloped each net-like branch ! And what vigorous
strength they show ! Who could believe that they
were grown only a little by little in some hundreds
of years ? They looked as if they were pulled up in
one night ! By my close study I found out those
strengthy, big trunks were the union of many
branches. I saw some thickly grown branches
were just half-united. That will be one trunk
later on.
Once upon a time in Japan there was a very wise
knight called Mori. He had twelve young sons.
He called every one of them to his death-bed and
demanded them to bring a bamboo stick. He tied
up twelve sticks and asked them if any of them
could break that. His children were filial enough
to obey to their father's last will. Their union
conquered all over Japan.
The Great Britain shall be safe and strong as long
as the nation is united in the same way with the
trees in Old Windsor.
Our one day's trip to Windsor was nearly over.
The big round sun like a mirror had sunken be-
yond the western horizon, leaving search-light-like
sprays from a few spaces between the clouds. The
"^y^zsa <gJ?^ ih-^^U*.^ ^H:^^
QUEEN OF THE JOHN BULLESSES 83
pale-faced moon was already high up. By the time
we finished our little supper the silvery moon was
crowned as the queen of the whole world.
I asked my friends to stop our car when we came
to the north side of the Castle. I jumped off from
the car and 1 loitered to and fro along that avenue.
O, the Windsor Castle under the moonlight !
It was as sweet and beautiful as all the John
Bullesses under her Majesty the Queen !
Banzai and Ban-Banzai for the Queen of the
John Bullesses!
CHAPTER VI
HOME LIFE
QINCE Lafcadio Hearn has written several books
^^ of Japanese life, the Japanese woman has be-
come very famous in England. Those who have
read his books often come across me, and they
always talk very highly about the Japanese women.
Perhaps Lafcadio Hearn was one of a few
foreigners who have seen the innerside of my
country. I feel very proud of our women when
they are so highly spoken of. But it is not seldom
that I meet with some English people who believe
the Japanese women are the only really virtuous
ones, and they don't think of John Bullesses at all.
What a great mistake they are making. At first
I thought they were only flattering to me. The
matter of fact seems to be far more serious than
that.
We have a proverb, " The bottom of lighthouses
is very dark." Surely those people are quite
blind and cannot see the sparkling virtue of John
Bullesses. Now let me point it out for those
blinds.
84
HOME LIFE 85
Yes, it is true that Japanese women have won-
derfully self-sacrificing power. But it must be
remembered we have the national ethic called
" Bushido." They are trained in that way. At
least the national custom demands them to perform
Bushido. Of course those genuine ones are most
admirable, but many are obliged unwillingly to
follow after the national custom, as they are afraid
to be cast away from the social life. Then there
some hideous hypocrites come in. In England
you have no word to translate " Bushido."
You can cry like a baby in the street if you like.
You can be quite selfish, so long as you don't violate
your national law. Nobody could compel you to
be deported. Is it not the real Bushido if I see
this ethic in such a free country where they have
no word for Bushido } It could not be an imita-
tion or forgery, but a genuine one. Yes, I have
seen the real Bushido in the hearts of some John
Bullesses. It comes out ever so bright in their
home life. It seems to me it is the speciality of
John Bullesses to make Sweet Home when they
become wives. I read Washington Irving's Sketch
Book when I was only a boy. Those two chapters
" Wife " and " Widow and her Son " were such
a great revelation of humanity to me then. At the
same time, I had some suspicious question in my
heart — Hasn't the great writer played about a bit
86 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
with his pen ? Or were those not only the rare ex-
ceptions ? But now I am fortunate enough to have
come and lived in the home country of " Wife "
and " Widow and her Son." And to my delight I
find out Irving was very truthful observer.
In most other countries (including Japan) people
generally entertain their guests at restaurant, hotels,
or clubs. In England they invite the guests to
their own home. Restaurant's dinner may be very
delicious. Club-rooms may be very chic and ele-
gant. But I myself enjoy the sweet euphony of
a private family life mostly. The former is only
the material enjoyment, while the latter is mental.
At the dinner-table, wife-John Bulless would
explain that those flowers were picked up from
their back garden, and even the radishes were
grown in the corner of her garden. She would
start to bite one of them, and gaze at us with such
proud eyes. Sometimes a newly married John
Bulless would apologise with bashful cheeks an
ill-cooked dish because " something was wrong
with the stove." Could there be anything sweeter
and more entertaining than the English home life ?
Well reserved John Bull husband says no word.
He casts his eyes downward and eats everything
in silence. He dare not express his burning love,
but his most contented expression tells me all the
sweet stories of his family.
HOME LIFE 87
Soon after the dinner the wife John Bulless
would sing or play music. I know it is the song or
tune that is her husband's favourite. They are
practically geishas to their husbands.
One of my Japanese friends said to me after
seeing John Bullesses' home life, "They seem to
be the combination of scholar and geisha."
I thought it was very true expression. For in
olden Japan, wives used to be very loyal to
husbands and very diligent for the domestic affairs.
But most sadly they lacked that charm and sweet-
ness to enlighten husband's life. Then we felt the
urgent necessity of the education for women. But
the girl student often proved haughty. This was
the reason we have the professional girl entertainers
or geisha. (But we are hoping this will abolish
quite soon.)
Here in England, John Bullesses themselves do
the duty of house-wife, well-educated scholar, as
well as great entertainers. Lucky are those John
Bulls who have the wife to sweeten their lives.
I sincerely envy them. I always say — In Japan
the foundation-stone of the moral is the love
between parents and children, while in England
it is between husbands and wives.
When I was in America 1 heard a story about
Prince Kido which I believe will amuse the
reader.
88 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
At the time when Japan opened the country,
Prince Kido was sent to America. After perform-
ing his duty there, he was to go back to his home
country. An American gentleman said to him,
" You must be very anxious to get back home, and
certainly you will see your wife first. . . ."
" See my wife first .'' Certainly not ! " exclaimed
the Prince, and he was much surprised and shocked.
The American asked him what would he do then ?
He said he would see his parents first and his wife
at the very last. Whereupon the American was
far more shocked than the Prince was ! They
gazed each other for a few minutes in breathless
silence !
Here may I give a little explanation of the
Prince. Certainly he did not see his wife till the
very last, but I am sure his mind was not relieved
until then.
Now let us proceed to the " bringing-up " and
the home education for the children. When I was
in Italy some Italian lady said to me, " I am afraid
the English parents don't love their children
enough." So I answered her that her observation
was only the surface of the English life. Certainly
the John Bullesses seem to be very cool to their
children, but a little further study is needed before
we criticise them. My observation is that the
Italian as well as Japanese mothers have no doubt
HOME LIFE 89
deep passions towards their children, while the John
Bullesses have real wisdom how to bring up their
children. I knew many Japanese women who
became absolutely slaves to their children, and very
often they have lost their reasoning and did any-
thing that their children asked. In Italy, too,
1 have observed some women carrying their small
children under nine to cafts at midnight ! I don't
see such dreadful sights in England. John Bull-
esses have heads to govern their passion and they
know too well what hour they must put their
babies in bed.
I have a great admiration towards the English
nurses. They are so well trained. Their heads
and hearts are balanced wonderfully well — just
right persons to trust with babies. I must reluc-
tantly confess that we haven't such professional
nurses in Japan. I quite remember my childish
life when I was five or six. My parents begged
my nurse not to frighten me by telling horrible
ghost stories; nevertheless she told them to me
most every day, and I often got quite hysterical
in night. Now, seeing how the English nurses
are treating the babies, I always envy them. Only
if I were nursed like that how much brighter and
happier baby I was !
John Bullesses are wise enough to get those
excellent nurses for their babies. And I see even
90 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
among those comparatively poor families they gener-
ally engage the nurse.
In Japan you don't see so many nurses. Be-
cause some mothers are too attached to their babies
and they cannot be separated. One would be
much amazed to see what a great difference takes
place when a Japanese woman gets a baby. Until
a few months before she was a very young girlish
wife in smart fashion, but then she looks ten
years older. No more pretty dresses for her. No
more hair-dressing for her, and no more rouge to
her lips ! She thinks nothing about herself, but
only her baby. What a great contrast with the
John Bulless ! I cannot tell whether she is un-
married woman or a mother of twelve children.
The other evening at dinner I met with a charming
John Bulless. She told me she has three children,
and she went on, " Since I had children 1 began to
feel much younger, because I am a good companion
to them ! " Indeed she looked so girlish, and I
felt strange to address her " Madame." How
splendid for mother and children both to be like
that !
If Japan has something more to learn from
England, I must say it is the John BuUess's home
life in all.
How very sweet are those blossoms of the
orchards in the early spring ! Some Japanese poet
HOME LIFE 91
lamented and said, " How soon shalt thou be
withered ! Couldst not thou last thy sweetness a
little longer?" Indeed, we all wish that the flowers
would keep their comely shape and colour for all
the season. But it is the law of providence.
They ought to go away in order to bring us their
fruits in autumn. So with the children. When
they are four to ten or twelve they are sweeter
than the spring blossoms. Are there any parents in
this world who do not mind to part from their
pride .'' But when their ages come they shall have
to go away from their sweet home to have their
own fruits. How very cruel and how very un-
natural are those parents who try to keep their
children for all their life !
We say in Japan, " If you love your children
let them travel in their early life." Perhaps every-
one in any country knows that too well. But it
is the John Bulless who actually practises it well.
This is the great reason why the British people
have succeeded in colonisation all over the world.
I confess I have had no experiences with chil-
dren. But my sketches are my children. Some-
times, perhaps one in hundred times, I can carry
out the drawings as well as the colouring just as
1 wanted to. Then I love it very dearly. I feel I
want to live with it all my life. However, when
I finish it, I must part from it for the sake of next
92 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
day's breads. Other day I went to South Kensing-
ton Museum with couple of my Japanese friends.
We saw a bronze eagle by Myochin. It was his
masterpiece. One of my friends exclaimed, " What
a great shame for our country to have sold such
a splendid masterpiece to other country 1 We
ought to rebuy it, disregarding any figures for its
price. We must keep it in our country."
I deeply sighed. " How very mistaken you are !
The matter is entirely different from those shame-
ful war trophies. Don't you know Myochin's
eagle is in its right place now .'' Far more people
are looking at it here every day than when it was
in Japan. Besides, when it is in a foreign country,
it shows our art in a wider scale in this world ! "
To-day the children of the Great Britain are
scattered all over the world. They all are spread-
ing their graceful wings like Myochin's eagle.
They are well worth of being proud, and the merit
belongs to the John Bulless mothers, who know
how to part from their children. But it is not
always easy task to them ; for they have hearts as
much as any other women.
I know a John Bulless who had a son. She had
idolised him. And he was much attached to his
mother, and very filial too. Last year he reached
his age of twenty-three. He decided to settle
down in India, They had never parted before.
HOME LIFE 93
How have they bid farewell to each other ? A day
before the son left home they had invited all their
intimate friends. The son seemed somewhat upset,
but the mother was in her brightest spirits, and
laughing and making fun all the time. She
laughed at her son because he was " too senti-
mental." The room was full of a gay air. Who
could imagine that gayness and happiness of the
mother was only false one to encourage her son,
until a day after the son had sailed 1 One of her
intimate John Bulless friends paid a visit upon
her then. She could hardly believe that it was the
same mother who was so jolly the other afternoon.
She was almost broken down, and said to her
friend in tears, " You know I wanted my son to
leave his home quite happy. I did try my best.
But how could I really be happy to bid farewell to
my dearest son ? "
One day I visited on Lady M with my
editor friend. Her baby girl came into the room
when the luncheon was over. She was about
seven, and the prettiest girl I have ever seen.
My editor friend was asking to the baby, " What
are you going to do this afternoon } " Lady M
whispered to my friend, " Don't ask her any-
thing. She is going to be sent to her school in
a few hours' time," and she gave us a smile — a
smile which concealed her tears within.
94 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Who can dare say the John Bulless is cool
to her children then ? However, 1 have learnt
one thing from the John Bullesses. We must not
call them sentimental. For they hate the word
sentimental. I don't know why. Is it not senti-
mental the parents and children being so affection-
ate to each other ! Is it not sentimental the
husband and wife being so loyal to each other ?
And is it not most sentimental to be patriotic,
especially to be so conservative ? This last spirit
seems to me the crystallisation of sentimental feel-
ing towards the country, the sovereign, the neigh-
bours, and the pioneer ancestors. Why, then,
they hate the word sentimental } Am I mistaken
of the meaning of that word .'' Perhaps my Anglo-
Japanese dictionary gives me a wrong definition
of the word .' Otherwise I don't see the reason.
Anyhow, it is true that John Bullesses get angry
with me if I call them " sentimental," and they
are shocked if I say I am sentimental. When this
word expressed once, they cast their eyes down-
ward and murmur, "Don't be silly"; and if it is
repeated more than twice, they shrink themselves
and fly away.
What I like best in John Bullesses is that their
nature is quite sentimental, yet they absolutely
deny it. This very spirit has brought up many
a great hero and heroine in England.
HOME LIFE 95
About John Bulless's persevering, I always
worship them as my leaders. Here 1 feel I must
mention about that landlady in Brixton who died
while I was staying in her house. (See the chapter
" My Life in Brixton " in A Japanese Artist in
London.)
She had suffered dropsy. She was so much
swelled, and she was obliged to sit on an arm-chair
day and night for more than two months. During
these most trying times she has never uttered
a complaining word. Her daughter often asked
me to see her. Sometimes she was slumbering in
a half-unconscious state. And she was moving her
hands in the way as if she was sewing. The
daughter said to me, " You see, she is worrying
much of her house work, and her mind is practi-
cally working sewing ! " It was most pathetic
sight than the words could express. Who could
help without wishing her to be recovered once
more. But she was to die, and I saw a full smile
on her face when she was expired. . . .
What else could I compare with her life but the
wonderful Nature, such as some trees. Have you
ever watched those trees for every season .? In the
spring they blossom, then in the summer they give
cool shadows, in the autumn they give delicious
fruits, and just before the winter comes they turn
their leaves into beautiful golden or scarlet colours
96 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
to delight our eyes once more, even in their dying
moment ! So it was with that John Bulless.
I know another young John Bulless. She is
most charming and beautiful. She would be a
great fascination in the society. . . . Besides, she
has talent for the art. She fixed her ambition to
succeed her art study. Alas, some misfortune has
befallen upon her. Her mother died after a long
illness, and now she is to look after a little country
house for her father. For this reason she has
shaken off all her bright ambitions. How deadly
dull life it must be. But she does not show any
signs of her discontenting. On the contrary, she
is delighted to do the works for charity in her
leisure time, and she is the sunshine to all those
poor miserable souls.
I myself have had some misfortune, and I am
still meeting all sorts of discouragement and dis-
appointment. Very often I feel tired of this world
and I want to sigh. But when I recollect those
wonderful John Bulless friends, I feel ashamed of
myself and change my sigh into a smile, and whip
my weak mind to go on.
CHAPTER VII
WHEN THE JOHN BULLESS LOOKS
PRETTIEST AND WHEN THE JOHN
BULLESS IS LIVELIEST
A S I said in the previous chapter, my most
favourite subject to paint (nay, even to just
look at) is the John Bullesses in rain and mists.
But I become very conscious that it would be too
unfair of me to throw them into rains and mists
always. For they do love the sun. I have never
seen anyone who appreciates the sun so much as
the John Bullesses. 1 know several of them who
are sacrificing their pockets and time for a trip to
Italy every year. Their intention is nothing but
to bathe themselves in the sun-ray. And how
happy they look when they get a sunny summer
in their own country ! (Very sorry to say they
cannot have it often, though.)
Perhaps the best place to see them in sunshine
is the Upper Thames. There I found out the
differences between John Bullesses and Japanese
girls.
Japanese girls always choose the shade for their
H 97
98 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
promenade, while John Bullesses choose the sun.
It seems to me the John Bullesses feel that they
must expose themselves in the sun. Of course
they all have sunshades, but I understand their
sunshades are no more than decorations. For
I often see they are keeping their sunshades on
their backs while they are facing against the sun.
Perhaps 1 had better keep silence as long as they
don't get sunstroke, because they are very pretty
and effective in that way. The sun in England
has never been too strong. So that will do. Only
if they come to my country — especially in Southern
Islands — they will begin to know how to fear the
sun !
The quiet and deep blue stream of Thames
is very beautiful, and it looks more beautiful when
it runs round the green ground with many graceful
trees. But these beautiful views could not be so
beautiful if the John Bullesses did not visit there.
Their dresses in white, pink, and all sorts of light
colours break the monotonous greens on the shore
as well as in boats, and give some delightful con-
trast. And when the dusk comes they look still
prettier. Have you ever seen the religious picture
of Buddhism } Buddhas and all saints are always
sitting on lotus flowers or on its leaves. The idea
was to give some nice and cool feeling in such a
hot country like India. If 1 have to paint a picture
WHEN THET LOOK PRETTIEST 99
to give a nice and cool feeling I should paint a
John Bulless punting a boat on the Upper Thames.
John Bullesses in boats or John Bullesses on the
green are the most important element to complete
the beauty of the Upper Thames.
Surely such a living paradise could not be seen
in Japan. It is my nature to love those calmful
and poetic views. They appeal to me far more
than those enormous precipices, gorgeous turbu-
lents, and all sorts of curious phenomena, which
may be a good lesson of physical geography to
study.
I always call the former " friend-seeking land-
scape." In such poetic view we need some human
figure. I feel sure Corot had the same idea with
me, for he always painted some figures in his land-
scapes. To me, no figures could be more suitable
than John Bullesses to put in my favourite land-
scapes at Upper Thames, because they go on so
well together with the surrounding Nature. Some-
times 1 try to paint and sometimes I try to compose
Japanese poetry about them.
Such is the case when I look upon the John
Bullesses as the third person. But if I look upon
them as the second person the matter changes
immensely. Perhaps the main reason is that I am
a Japanese.
Whenever I see people in landscape they all look
100 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
far away. They look to me exactly the same with
flowers or birds. The whole view (whatever may
be in it) is in one harmony — a coloured poetry.
When I am happy everybody and everythi?ig look
happy, and when I am sad they all look sad. In
one word, they are only my own reflection.
What a great difference was my impression when
I saw the view with a John Bulless friend first
time 1
The English people are generally very quiet.
Once I went to Shepherd's Bush with my French
friend. He said to me, " Can you believe that
there are some ten thousand people in this ground .''
Just shut your eyes, you would feel you were
standing in a desert ! " Yes, he was only too true.
In France or in Japan they would make deafening
noises. You would not blame me therefore if I
say I used to look upon John Bullesses as flowers
or birds, or at least a part of a landscape. But
what a difference ! O, what a difference when
they are the second person. Very, very second
person indeed. They are very lively, amusing and
awfully entertaining, so that they make me forget
all about the poetic " background."
This is not my grumbling or complaining. For
sometimes I love to be jolly rather than to be
poetic.
Once I was invited to a dinner at a Ladies' Club.
WHEN THET LOOK PRETTIEST loi
The dining-room was fulled up with pretty John
Bullesses. They could be noisy when they felt
homely ! I had to shout out my top voice at the
table for the whole hour. It was as difficult to
converse with my friends as in the tube train.
And the trouble was that when I had to open the
debate I had lost all my voice !
Surely these were warmly second persons to each
other. I could hardly believe that these same John
Bullesses behave themselves so cool and quiet when
they are third persons to each other in the public
places. I always compare John Bullesses with the
safety-matches. And this is the best part of their
nature. Indeed, some women in this world are
like wax matches. They burn at any thing any
time. John Bullesses are different. You cannot
strike a safety-match on anything ; you must strike
it on the proper part of the box to burn it. So
with the John Bullesses. They are dead still to
a mere stranger. But if one is properly introduced
to them they can burn. I used to meet a John
Bulless at my friend's house. I was not introduced
to her for the first few occasions. And she would
not even shake my hand. Only she nodded her
head very coolly. But after I was introduced she
became one of my greatest friends. And I found
out she can be noisy and lively indeed.
CHAPTER VIII
THE BROAD-MINDED JOHN BULLESS
TN the last chapter I said the John Bullesses'
dresses were very effective on the green grasses.
Here I want to talk more about that, and also
about the comparison between the English and the
Japanese.
I always say the differences of the arts of the
two countries show so clearly the differences of
the national nature of the two countries. Look at
the English oil-paintings (Western art, rather).
The artists are always taking care on the whole
effect of the picture when they are painting.
For instance, while they are painting the trees
or figures they are looking at the tones of sky
and ground at the same time. When they finish
painting, pictures are very rough. If you go near
to the pictures and look at them you don't see
anything but some broad brushmarks.
Perhaps the pre-Raphaelite artists have done
very fine works. Even then, comparing them
with some Japanese arts, they are rough enough.
But from the distance they look most perfect.
102
THE BROAD-MINDED JOHN BULLESS 103
The tones of the whole pictures are in amiable
euphony. They are simply delightful.
On the other hand, look at the Japanese arts.
The artists are so careful how to use their brushes
and how neatly to use their colours. If you see
everything individually, that is to say, the trees as
the trees, the figures as the figures, and so on,
every object is done in the utmost care, but from
the distance they are generally out of tone. At
least it is not so successful as the Western art.
They look more like some stained grey papers or
silks. (I must say there was one great exception
to this. It was the Korin school. Korin always
tried to make the eflfect from the distance well.)
So with the women's dresses. Look at the
Japanese women's kimonos. Some of them are
the best quality of silk. The patterns are designed
most thoughtfully with some special meaning.
They are woven most carefully by hand. The
sewings too are very neatly done. You can see
that only when you take them into your own hand
and feel them. But from the distance they look
nothing but indifferent grey.
(By the way, I often see so-called Japanese
kimonos in England. They are most brilliant
colours with some gorgeous golden embroideries.
They are made for the export. If a Japanese girl
put these dresses on and walked in the street in
104 ^^^ WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Japan, people would think she was an inmate of
some lunatic asylum !)
The dresses of John Bullesses are absolutely
reverse. It seems to me that they never care for
small details as long as they look " all right " from
distance. I say this from my own experience with
my John Bulless friends.
Now let me write out a few of my experiences.
One day I had to go out with a John
Bulless friend. I called on her house. She was
just ready to put on her black frock with white
linings. On one side of her frock was a bit un-
stitched, and it was showing slightly the white
lining.
She said, " Oh, I cannot bother to stitch it.
I am in a hurry." She took out a tube of lamp-
black and painted the white lining, and said to me,
" You see, that looks all right ! "
I was much amused !
The other time I visited another John Bulless
friend. She was making her own dress. I said to
her, " I think that left fringe is about a quarter of
an inch too low ! " Whereupon she replied me
sharply, " O, you fidget! Go away! It doesn't
show at all when I put it on like this ! "
Once my hand was touched to the arm of a
John Bulless, whereupon my hand was severely
scratched by a pin. She told me it was good
WALKING IN THE STREET.
THE BROAD-MINDED JOHN BULLESS 105
thing that it was only her arm. If I ever touch
her waist two dozen pins would penetrate into my
hand ! Some John Bulless friend told me that
was only too true, and she continued, " For we
often put on half-finished dresses and pin them up."
Indeed, the John BuUesses don't care of small
details, but they are very keen for the general
effect. No wonder why they attracted me when
I saw them on the Thames first. Nay, not only
on the Thames, but at the parks, at the theatres,
at the restaurants, and everywhere they are the
great fascination to artists. They are broad-minded
not only in their dresses, but in their daily moral,
too. About this point of view I must include the
American women as well (perhaps most Westerners
too).
When I sold myself as a servant in San Fran-
cisco I saw the mistress of a house. The very
first thing what she did to me was to give me al)
the keys in her house. I was rather surprised.
I am sure 999 out of 1000 Japanese women
would not do that. I asked the other Japanese
servants in that town. They all told me the same
thing. Is it not their broad mind to trust a quite
stranger — nay a different nationality — whom they
have never seen before ?
Perhaps the Japanese wives are sweetest to think
of smallest details to please their husbands, but it
io6 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
is the John BuUesses who really become the practical
assistance to carry out their husband's ambitions.
They are like those strong stone columns which
are keeping the big dome so dignified high up
in the sky. For the John Bullesses have far
broader minds.
It is almost general rule in Japan that men never
tell about their business to their wives. All be-
cause Japanese women have much narrower mind,
therefore if the men disclose all their intention to
their wives the latter often discourage the former.
At least the Japanese women could not be any
good assistance for that purpose. Whereas the
John Bullesses are quite different. They carry out
their husbands' will. Indeed, they are awfully good
companions for politicians, business men, and for
everybody. Sometimes the wives are leading their
husbands.
It is the John Bullesses who can make their
home life as steady as the rocks, if they do not
care about tiny things to please their husbands
every minute. It is the John Bulless who makes
herself as the axis of a big wheel of social life,
and lets it turn round.
I think I can carry out my logic — " the broad
effect of Britons and small details of Japanese" into
a larger scale. I mean to compare the two whole
nationalities in this logic. The other day I met
THE BROAD-MINDED JOHN BULLESS 107
with an Englishman who had been in Japan for a
few years. He said to me, " Whenever I met with
an individual Japanese I admired every one of them.
They were very modest, polite, and charming. Even
the low-class farmers in Japan could be associated
with the most refined English ladies and gentlemen.
But the street scenes in Tokio were awfully shock-
ing. On every corner of the street I saw the dread-
ful fighting going on. In the trains, trams, and
'buses they were struggling themselves to get the
best seats. They were behaving themselves exactly
like wild beasts. Now tell me if they were the same
Japanese who were so amiable when I saw them
individually ? "
I said to him that he was a very good observer,
and his question itself proves my logic satis-
factorily 1 They are exactly like their own art.
They are quite refined individually. But the whole
effect of their social life is out of tone. On the
public life they become quite wild beasts, as that
Englishman told me. Whereupon I am a great
admirer of the English life.
As individuals the English people are perhaps
not so refined as the Japanese. John Bullesses and
John Bulls don't care for such small details. They
don't count how many times they ought to drink a
cup of tea, as the Japanese do. They don't care how
to bow down before their guests, as we do. Some-
io8 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
times I feel they are rather rough. But how simple
and sincere are the John Bullesses and John Bulls !
When I make friendship with them, 1 can really
open my whole heart and that friendship lasts for
all my life. It is so easy and so comfortable for
me to co-operate a lifelong business as well as
friendship with them. They are always same to
me. (Some dirty commercials excepted.)
And look at the public life in England! How
quiet and peaceful is the street scene in London !
No wonder why the Englishman was surprised after
seeing the street scene in Tokio.
When one of my Japanese friends arrived here,
he asked me the rate of murder cases in London.
I said to him, " Not quite half-dozen a year, and
even then most murder cases are among those aliens.
Therefore we may safely say almost no murder
cases among the Britons." He could not believe
me, and he said, " In Tokio there is one murder
every day in average."
And is it not the definite sign of the Briton's
broad mind that all the political fugitives come to
live in England when their lives are in danger in
their own country ? 1 cannot help without repeat-
ing my logic here once more — the whole effect of
the English life is in beautiful and comfortable tones
of civilisation, like those masterpieces by Corot or
Turner !
CHAPTER IX
FAILURE OF LOVE
T IFE is one. It is only once, nobody could
"^^ have it twice. Who would then intend from
the beginning to ruin their own precious life ?
Whenever I start to paint, I always look at the
white paper with many bright hopes. The great
masters had the same paper with mine, so with the
school children or amateurs ! If I could ever carry
out my work exactly as my imagination at the
beginning, it would be a masterpiece. I still have
hope while I am making rough pencil-drawings.
But, O, my colouring ! Faults after faults ! It
is almost unbearable to look at such hideous things!
I so often tear them up ! Sometimes I show my
works to the public hoping they might like a little
bit here and there, but certainly with much fear,
for I know my faults too well. I am surprised of
my own boldness. To say in short, I start my
work with hopes and anxieties and finish it with
repentance. I feel I am a sinner.
After all, my paper is only fourpence. I can
buy the same paper again and again as I like.
109
no MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Human life ought to be different. Of course
there are some who are leading their lives as " the
genuine masterpiece." I pay much respect upon
them. But there are at the same time quite many
who are spoiling or tearing up their lives even
more carelessly than my fourpence paper. Nay,
not only that, but some people are even taking
advantage to ruin their neighbours' lives ! In-
telligent souls are not unaware of this. Some of
them have been trying to rescue this world by their
religion, and the others to regulate the world by
their law-making. Confucius has almost failed,
because his doctrine that " the good gets reward
and the bad gets punishment in this world " was
not in fact. Buddha was more successful by carry-
ing out that Nirvana system in the future life.
Perhaps Christ was the winner by " saving the
souls." Most philosophers only ended their doc-
trines by lamentations.
And the Laws } Well, I frankly think the
present laws are indeed too poor to rescue this
world !
Let the Christians believe their future world.
Let the Buddhists believe their Incarnations.
Whatever they may be, it is too cruel to say to the
unlucky people that " never mind of your present
life, you shall be awarded in the next world."
Where is the real civilisation then ?
FAILURE OF LOVE in
Some four thousand years ago there was a great
King called Wu in China. Whenever he met with
the criminals on the roads he would get off from
his carriage and take the hands of the criminals
and weep, saying, " In the days of King Gyo or
Shun, the whole nation had the heart of Gy5
or Shun ; but since I have become the king, every-
body has the heart of everyone's self. No wonder
why there are so many criminals nowadays. It
gives me a great pain ! "
It was the modestness of King Wu. But to
some certain degree, the ill arrangement of our
social life is the direct course to make many
criminals, or at least many unhappy souls who are
wasting their precious lives more carelessly than
my fourpenny paper. How could I be silent
seeing these grievous phenomena every day }
Once or twice I have met with some law-pro-
fessors and I had discussion with them. Alas,
they were not the very First Class brains. They
were worshipping the present human-made laws as
if they were the direct words from the Creator!
Indeed, they wanted to cut the most complicated
human hearts mechanically into squares with their
blunt knives.
I bade farewell in the middle of their arguments,
for I had not the spare time to waste with such
hopeless ones. Look at the universal maps! Such
112 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
new countries as Australia or America are divided
into squares by longitude and latitude. It is very-
easy for the school-children to learn. But it could
not be applied to the old Europe or Japan.
We have much to consider about all sorts of our
conditions. So with our human hearts !
There may be innumerable cases of human
troubles, but the sexual affair occupies one of the
greatest parts. It creates the happiness as well as
the sorrow, or it even drives one to commit crimes.
Such crimes as murder, robbery, thieving, scandal,
spring up mostly from the sexual question. Happy
are those who sail their lives in the same direction
with the favourable wind. But there are many
struggling against the high wind and rough waves.
I myself have not been without some experi-
ences. Now let me write it with my psychological
analysis.
During my fourteen years' stay in England once,
nay twice, thrice, perhaps more, I fell into love
with some John Bullesses. Unfortunately none
of them could love me. It was some years ago
when the last one told me it was impossible for
her to love me. I wrote in my diary thus : —
" Alas, have I forgotten myself again ? I was
born as an artist and to love the beauties. There-
fore I am permitted to walk into this flower garden.
How charming are those flowers ! They are
FAILURE OF LOVE 03
blossoming beautifully for me to try my brush,
but not for me to pick up. The garden path is so
narrow, and on my way one blossom was facing
towards me. I have forgotten myself and tried to
pick her, I was told, * No, not for you.' O how
foolish I was ! I came back to my room, and
looked at my paint-box and the stretched paper,
and I smiled."
One day I saw a John Bulless whom I
loved. She was with the winner of her heart.
They were in most affectionate terms to each
other.
Suddenly I felt the pain in my heart. I came
back to my room and the pain was still increasing.
This I could not understand. Have I such a
dirty heart to get jealous } Am I more worthless
than what I have been thinking ^ What does this
mean, anyhow ? It is always my sincere desire to
wish the happiest life to everyone whom I love
dearly. Now, seeing her delight with her own
chosen companion, why could I not feel happy
instead of getting this pain ? However, my feel-
ing contradicted against my reasonings. Still more
was I astonished when I found out the pain in my
heart did not vanish away easily. To persevere
this torture was much harder for me than to be
as a prisoner, nay, even " hard labour " could
not be worse than this. Why should I have
114 ^^^ WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
such a great punishment without committing any
crime ?
I turned to my favourite page of the book of
Mencius : —
" When the Heaven demands one to fulfil a great
duty in this world it makes his heart ache, his
muscles tired, his stomach hungry, and his mind
disappointed. All because these experiences make
one's hearf sympathetic enough to love the whole
world and to make his wi/l strong enough to carry
on where others fail."
In the deep silent nights when I could not sleep
I began to think many things. How many inno-
cent souls are suffering in the same way with me
just this very moment ? Could there be nothing
to rescue them ^
Sympathy with disappointed love, sympathy
with the failure of marriage are the principal
objects of my writing this chapter. The Latin
races seem to have warmer temper. They often
bring out the terrible tragedies through the dis-
appointed love affair. The Britons are (or behave
themselves perhaps) quieter. I often hear them
say, " Don't be so silly." Have they not hearts ?
Are their hearts icebergs ?
Ah, you well-reserved John Bulls and Bullesses 1
I know you are persevering all the pain admirably
in silence. At least, I have personally met with
FAILURE OF LOVE 115
several John Bullesses who were suffering the pain
like myself. (And why should you not ? It is
humanity !)
When we had the long dreadful civil war in
Japan some four hundred years ago there were
three shoguns — Hoj5, Ota, and Tokugawa. Hojo
was defeated. The news of his death reached to
Ota's palace. Ota expressed his delight on the
victory over Hojo, and ridiculed the deceased
befDre all his subjects. But when the news reached
to Tokugawa's camp he wept, because he had lost
" such a splendid rival, who was one of the great
heroes Japan had ever had."
All the subjects of Ota, hearing Tokugawa's
sympathetic lamentation, deserted their own master
and became the latter's servants.
Sympathy as well as courtesy always bring the
most enjoyable peace into this world. No wonder
why the Tokugawa Shogunade had such flourish-
ing dynasty for three hundred years.
Now about the love affair. If the winner gives
a little courtesy towards the defeated, what a beauti-
ful euphony would be in our social life ! We
would not see so many aching hearts. Neither so
many tragedies.
Some time ago I had a John Bulless friend.
She had one sister and one brother. When I
wanted to take my friend to theatres or to picture
ii6 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
galleries, I always asked her sister and brother to
join us too. Someone said to me, " You are a
funny man. Why don't you take your own friend
alone.?"
I answered him, " How could I ask her alone
in front of the others of her family ? My con-
science does not allow me to be such a savage."
Whereupon he said to me, " How could your
conscience allow you to take the others while you
are in love with the one ? "
As the result of this conversation I have found
out the quite different standpoint of our ethics.
The British ethic is that of individual, while ours
is of mutual. Of course when these systemis are
perfect they ought to come to the same finishing
point. But otherwise they both have some faults
which cause the troubles in their life. The fault
of the mutual ethic is that people rely upon and
expect too much from each other, while the fault
of the individual ethic is their dreadful selfishness.
I advise the former to get more independent spirit,
and I advise the latter to have more sympathy
with their neighbours.
I have witnessed with my own eyes several cases
of the failure of marriage in London. I know
a husband and his wife. They both are well
educated and very intelligent, but they hate each
other dreadfully. One day I told the wife, " Look
FAILURE OF LOVE 117
at that wedding-ring on your finger and think of
the time when you were married. That sweet
memory may bring you happy life again."
" No, no, no ! " she interrupted. " I cannot
bear him any longer if I think of our wedding."
I had much there to study the psychology.
According to their information, they loved each
other very much, and they had a romantic
marriage in their very early life. Their love must
have been that of selfishness. I mean, only to buy
their own pleasure and nothing else.
They were growing on each of their own ways.
Politically, philosophically, and religiously they
took quite different ways. Now they are showing
their backs to each other from such a long distance.
Their romantic love died out a long time ago, and
conjugal love never grew on their selfish grounds.
They never had the thread called sympathy to tie
up themselves together. Now there could be no-
thing to fill up that wide and deep ditch between
them. How very hopeless 1 Their lives are being
wasted like my spoilt pictures !
Once I committed a dreadful adventure. Now
I am going to confess it.
It was about twelve years ago, when I was work-
ing at the Japanese Naval Office for nine pounds a
month. I visited on my friend's house. There
were three young John Bullesses. Two were very
ii8 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
strikingly attractive, while the other one was rather
plain-looking. Those two charming girls were
talking about their gay pastimes. "... and Jack
took me to a theatre last night, and Algie is going
to take me to Windsor next Sunday. . . ."
" I saw the Be//e of New Tork three times with
Joe. ..."
The plain-looking John Bulless was silent and
looked rather upset. I asked her if she had been
in any theatre lately. She said she had no one to
take her about!
I was such a sanguine boy then. I ventured
myself and asked her to go to a matinee with me
next Saturday. In fact, 1 had much fancy on one
of the beautiful John Bullesses, though. The
poor girl brightened her face when I looked at the
two so scornfully.
The Saturday came. I took her in cab to the
theatre. She started her grumbling in the cab —
that I sat over her dress, that the top of the cab
spoilt her hat, that I did not take her hand when
she got off the cab. In the theatre — that an old
man next to her was " hideous," that the girls in
front of us were " awful," that the play was too
dull, etc. etc. I took her home with much more
difficulties.
When I bid good-bye to her I sighed deeply.
I said to myself, " The John Bulls are wiser than
FAILURE OF LOVE n9
myself. No wonder why they don't take her
out I "
Later on when I lived together with my fellow-
artist Hara we often discussed about the mixed
social life. I said to him, " Those beautiful and
charming John Bullesses who have many admirers
are always so tender and modest. They would
appreciate and be thankful for trifle things which
I have done to them. On the other hand, some
plain-looking John Bullesses are often too stiff."
And I told him all about my adventure.
Hara was very surprised at me, and exclaimed,
" I never thought you would commit such a hy-
pocrisy! Do you say 'Why?' Well, ask it to
your own conscience."
Yes, I came back to my conscience then. When-
ever I take out a charming John Bulless I always
feel that I am not doing kindness enough whatever
I may try, for she is too good for me. But when
I took out that poor girl I had such a hateful
hypocrisy in my heart. I was very conscious that
I was doing something for her. Human feeling
is just like the electricity. The neighbours always
feel it directly. Even the animals understand our
feelings to some certain degree. No wonder that
she was so disagreeable! She must have felt un-
comfortableness with my hypocrite-deed. Many
thanks to Hara, I have repented with most
120 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
ashamed heart. Ever since I am earnestly praying
that I can have broader and more generous heart
to love everybody equally. Anyhow, it is my
humble advice to all the young unmarried folks
that they should not make the match with such
hypocrisy. Half a day's adventure was uncom-
fortable enough for both of us. Then how could
you pass all your long life under such circum-
stance ?
Now let me proceed to the Divorce Law. As
I always say, I hate reading books. Only the
thing which I earnestly read is the divorce case
in the daily papers. It is a good study of psy-
chology and humanity. After having read those
divorce cases on the papers for last fourteen
years, the English divorce law seems to me just
like the school-children's quarrel. Do you ask me
why ? The English law says wives cannot divorce
their respective husbands unless they prove the
husbands' misconduct as well as cruelly. What
does " cruelty " mean ? The mental torture is
absolutely ignored there (a great astonishment to
me indeed) 1 What they call " cruelty " at the
court is only about the harms given bodily ! The
judges, councils, juries, and witnesses are discussing
whether the husband kicked his wife strongly or
slightly } Whether he has patted her or boxed
her ? Did he make her " black eyes " or not ?
READING IN KENSINGTON GARDENS.
FAILURE OF LOVE i£i
I see in the papers there are many brackets with
" laughter " within. They seem to be highly
amusing themselves.
Could it be anything else but the school-chil-
dren's quarrel ? I really think the mental cruelty
comes long before he kicks or boxes his wife. Isn't
the misconduct itself a great cruelty .'' Nay, even
when his heart just begins to get cold toward his
wife, the latter must feel a great pain in her heart
if she is in love with him. Those Latin races often
commit a terrible tragedy at this stage. I wit-
nessed that when I was in Italy. The other day
I discussed with a John Bulless about the differ-
ences between Italian and English women. My
John Bulless friend took it quite lightly (though in
outer appearance only) and said, " The English man
does not caress his wife much, so we must look
after our own selves," and she smiled.
Are the John Bullesses really cold-hearted .'' Have
they no heart at all } Or has the English law made
the John Bullesses so heartless } Or is such a law
suitable to the John Bullesses ?
Here my Japanese proverb comes in — " Dried
eyes have warmer heart than wet eyes." Indeed,
the John Bullesses have something high and noble
besides their sweetest hearts. It is their un-
written Bushido to conceal their own sufferings all
their lives through. If you asked a stranger John
122 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
BuUess about her own affair, she would only repulse
your question with a smile, or a laugh, or with
these words — " Don't be so silly." But no sooner
than she recognised your sincere sympathy, she
would disclose her sorrow with tears. About nine
years ago I had a friend living in Clapham Road,
near Stockwell. Whenever I found my friend out
I used to have a talk with the landlady. She had
a beautifully clear-cut face like marble statue, and
somewhat pale, sorrow-sunken expression. One
afternoon I saw her having the hair-curlers all over
her head.
" So you are still more beautifying your beauty !
Is it so necessary after winning a husband ? "
She laughed quite naturally and said, " But you
know in England the marriage does not certify one
to win the husband's heart thoroughly. I must try
to please my husband with all means."
On my later visits she began to disclose her
troubles little by little. One day she was deeply
sighing and said to me, *' Love is a very silly
thing. Don't you think so .'' "
I said, " 1 don't think so. It is very honourable
and sacred part of the humanity."
" Well, it is so if it runs smoothly. But it is
different in my case. Don't laugh at my silliness
when I tell you the truth."
Thus she began to confess her life. And I learnt
FAILURE OF LOVE 123
that her husband would treat her very politely but
absolutely with no heart. He was in love with
another woman and he often came back very late in
night. Notwithstanding all these facts she was still
deeply in love with him. Her aching heart was the
great torture to her. She freely confessed that rough
treatment with warm heart was much preferable to
polite treatment without heart. The imperfect
law had to do nothing with her. Nobody could
rescue this poor aching heart, and she had to suffer
her long future. It was practically worse than any
punishing sentence of the modern law. Indeed,
the woman is suffering ever so much under the
men-made law. I do not mean to be too hard upon
the man. It is quite natural result that men would
do all what the law allowed them freely. No, I
cannot blame the individual man. On the contrary,
I am always admiring the chivalrousness of many
John Bulls. It is only the result of the poor laws
and ill-arranged social life. When these are good
they rescue the humans, and when these are bad
they drive the innocent humans into fatal traps.
Yes, many innocent John Bulls are committing
mental as well as legal crimes quite unconsciously
now.
Now let me point out how to rescue these
crimes. As I say in my next chapter, let the
foundation base of men and women be equally
124 ^^^ WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
level. I often hear the Westerners ridiculing the
Chinese because they make their women's feet
deformally small — so that they cannot walk well
without men's help. Yes, the Chinese are awful,
but to my eyes, you are the same with the Chinese.
Socially and psychologically the John BuUess' feet
are made deformally small at present, and man gets
into his own advantage to "help" and "favour" the
women. If a doctor gave you a harm intentionally,
then he cured you, would you call him a kind-hearted
man ? Why don't the men give the fair grounds for
the women instead of giving "favours " .f* One can-
not make a perfect law (however kind it may be) for
the objective persons. The law-makers must be the
subjective themselves. Therefore I say, " Give the
free hand to the women to construct the part of
the laws — especially the divorce law." That would
not only rescue many unfortunate souls through the
failure of marriage, but bring up the higher ethics
between the two sexes all together.
Some soldier-writer who opposed against the
Anglo-Japanese Alliance kindly pointed out in a
leading magazine that Japan has " Yoshiwara-
quarters." Yes, we have, and you have not in
England. But I don't see any better results here.
Whenever I pass Piccadilly or Regent Street in
midnight I hear the police shouting, " Pass on,
please ; pass on ! " Do you think would they do
FAILURE OF LOVE 125
any good ethically ? To rescue this state of the
corrupted sexual morals there is only one hope —
that is to say, Ask the women to govern the women
themselves.
I remember some years ago Mr. George Mere-
dith held out the suggestion that marriages might
be dissolvable at stated periods. Unfortunately
I had no chance to discuss the matter with him.
But I imagine that perhaps his logic was founded
upon the base of the physical and hygienic
differences between the two sexes. Well, about
this question, I had the discussion with more than
one doctor. I cannot disclose the details of our
discussions to the public, but only to the medical
professors. Anyhow our conclusions came to this
point, that the ethic governs over the physical
question very satisfactorily after all.
A few weeks ago I met with one of the notable
John Bulls. He had a very strong anti-suffragette
opinion. He shouted, " No, no, no, I don't want
the woman to have the equality. She will lose all
her sweetness ! " How greatly he was mistaken !
As you see, I was born in Japan, where the women
used to be merely men's slaves. Whatever the
husband said, she only obeyed him with " Yes, my
honourable master." When I was in an American
Missionary's College I began to read the English
love-poetries and novels. You cannot imagine
126 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
how madly delighted I was ! And why ? All
because John Bullesses seemed to me (In the books)
not so much slaves as the Japanese women. How
very sweet they sounded to me !
Any man v/ho really appreciates the feminine
gender would agree with me. I love little birds
so much, therefore I cannot cage them. How nice
to hear them enjoying their liberty in wood, and
how very nice when they come so tamely to my
own hand! But O, let them fly away If they want
to do so !
Last year I took some fifty Japanese artisans
from the Shepherd's Bush to the parks. They
were awfully amazed to see the birds in the parks
so tame to come to our shoulders and hands.
Some of the Japanese exclaimed, "This Is the
revelation of the real civilisation."
Indeed it is. Even the friendship between the
humans and birds ought to be like that. Then
why should you try to cut off the wings of your
woman and cage her } Do you call this really
" sweet " ?
I assure you, antl-suffragette John Bulls, that
John Bullesses shall never lose their sweetness by
giving them the equality, nay, they would be still
sweeter, for they are modest, tender-natured !
As for myself, after all the experiences, I am
perfectly happy to Imagine that a pretty bird is
FAILURE OF LOVE 127
enjoying her merry life with or without some com-
panion somewhere in this world, and I feel still
happier when she comes to me with her own will-
ingness. One who tries to cage a bird shall never
understand this true happiness of mine.
Still I tell you once more, " Don't you waste
your precious life like I do with my drawing-
paper." Let us hope to have more perfect law
soon. A law which will really protect the mental
as well as physical suffering, instead of being one-
sided, insincerely ridiculing, and dealing only with
the custody of children or about properties and
money. Such a law needs so much money that
the poor cannot afford, and accordingly they suffer
every bitterness in silence. Indeed, we badly need
the law of more humanity. This is my sincere
hope. Perhaps everybody's.
However, still brighter hope belongs to those
who can shake off all their own selfishness. Peace
and happiness shall be their own.
CHAPTER X
SUFFRAGETTES
QHALL every individual have the right to vote ?
We must say " yes," for it is the ideal of the
constitutional country.
Then is that quite safe for the country ? This
is most difficult question to answer. I don't see
any country in this world which is thoroughly
civilised enough to say " yes."
However, the distinction between the voters and
non-voters must not be made by the difference of
the sexes. Now I start to write this chapter, and
I am holding my pen at this very moment, but I
feel I want to throw my pen down, for it seems
to me the reason is too plain. Even the cats and
dogs ought to know that much. If it were ten
centuries ago it might have been necessary to con-
vince the people about this question. But remem-
ber it is Twentieth Century. We are no longer
primitive. We are no longer baby-humans ! I
thought I was happy enough to be born in this
most civilised century. But the fact does not
seem exactly so. I wonder, am 1 dreaming ? If
128
SUFFRAGETTES 129
so, I want to be awakened from my stupid dream !
— a dream of ten centuries ago ! What else can
I say, seeing such a strange phenomena that many
well-educated and most refined John Bullesses with
full sense in every respect cannot vote, only
because they are women. And on the other
hand those Little Englanders, hardly worth to
be called humans, are voting because they are
men ?
First of all I have something to tell the reader
about that very extraordinarily primitive custom of
*' under-payment for women." Some seven or
eight years ago I was struggling against my
extreme poverty with several of my boy-school-
mates. We tried to make designs for post cards,
Christmas cards, or menus. Some art publishers
said they did not want men-artists. My friends
exclaimed, "That is just it, you see. Girls are
working frightfully cheap, so we men have to be
starved."
I was fortunate enough to have met with one of
those lady-artists. She said to me, " Yes, it is
true, we girls work awfully cheap. They won't
pay us what they ought to. Don't call us more
fortunate than you, because we have work. I
work hard from morning until late night, but the
payment is not enough to keep myself. I am now
living with my mother, and I give her the money
130 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
which I get from my work as partial help. Surely
the payment is not enough for me to be quite
independent."
Indeed, it is both women and men suffer from
this horrid custom. Only some cold heartless
capitalists are making unreasonable profits 1
The under-payment for women might have been
practised in such a savage country where women
are made as the toys of men, after the style of
harem ! But here in England to-day the John
Bullesses are clever enough to produce excellent
works, and moreover they are too serious to be
men's toys. Many of them are absolutely inde-
pendent spinsters. Nothing could be more in-
justice than the " under-payment for women." It
violates the human ethic. I understand England
is civilised enough to have made the law of " Pre-
vention against the Cruelty upon Animals." It is
splendid. But why not " Prevention against the
Cruelty upon Women " }
It is quite true that horses, dogs, and cats in
some swelled-up families are enjoying their lives
more than many poor but sober John Bullesses,
who are struggling for the existence of their own
as well as their families. When I was in Japan
some American missionary told me, " Your country
is not civilised, because you look down upon your
women.''
SUFFRAGETTES 13^
1 sincerely expected to see the equality of men
and women in every so-called civilised country in
the Western world. That is why I am surprisingly
disappointed to see this dreadful result here. It is
true Japan has been used to look down on the
women. But she is not quite so bad as she looks to
the tourists' eyes. For we have very peculiar and
quaint national custom. Our hearts are sometimes
fairer to women than some Westerners'. Professor
Nitobe expressed this very well in a quotation in
his book called Bushido : " American husbands kiss
their wives in public and beat them in private ;
Japanese husbands beat theirs in public and kiss
them in private."
I remember my own brother's home life quite
well. He married when I was a boy. He used to
take his wife and myself together to our neighbour-
ing village. Of course, his wife had to carry some
bundles and follow after him. That was our cus-
tom. But when we came to lonely field my
brother always looked round very carefully, and
would say to his wife, " I am so glad nobody is
looking at us, give me that bundle immediately."
Then he carried the heavy burden himself. And
no sooner did any people appear above the horizon
than he would shout to her, ** Be quick, take this
bundle yourself."
When we returned to our house, he always
132 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
asked his wife if she was too tired, and he never
forgot to express his sympathy toward her.
Here in England, I have observed men's
courtesy towards women. Men would serve every-
thing " ladies first." They would open the door
for ladies. They would take ladies' hands from
carriages. I must say this is most beautiful
national custom. But from the psychological point
of view, are the men really respecting the women ^
I do suspect. My suspicion shall never clear off
as long as such savage customs are existing — I
mean, the under-payment or non-voting for women.
Moreover, when I read the divorce cases in papers,
I am always astonished that there are many men
who are treating women no better than their pet
animals. I confess I still cannot get off from my
own national customs after fourteen years' stay in
England. Very often I forget to serve " ladies
first." I don't mean to serve specially men first.
Only 1 begin from the handiest one. If a man
is nearest to me, I shake his hand before ladies.
And I often forget to open the door for ladies,
or to pick up the handkerchief which my John
Bulless friends dropped on the floor. Nay, some-
times I intentionally don't do that. For I hate to
be too oily to women. At least I am too shy to
flatter to women. If for this cause you call me
a savage, I am contented to be called a savage.
g^:) ^ ^ %%f^
SUFFRAGETTES 133
However, my respectness towards women (espe-
cially John Bullesses) is absolutely sincere. Their
tenderness and their sympathy shall I never forget.
These two words indicate the real civilisation.
I have been very interested to watch the English
polling for the last few years. It was true that
I learnt from the universal histories when I was
a schoolboy that " England was the originator of
the Parliament. The nation felt its necessity and
organised it, while many other countries have only
copied it from England." It is quite natural and
certain that English pollings are " playing cricket "
fairest. I am earnestly desiring that Japan will do
the same some day.
But even in Great Britain (the fairest " player
of cricket ") there are quite many people who are
absolutely ignorant of the political matter. It is
so in those districts where the poor labourers are
dwelling — especially with the ignorant aliens ! The
way the candidates are trying to get votes is
astonishing to my eyes. They often buy votes
with a glass of beer, and sometimes by the means
of telling lies ! Hence I have got some disliking
feeling toward the word " diplomatic." Yes, this
word often intermarries (in my mind) with such
words as "insincere," "cunning," or even with
" humbug." I sincerely wish its marriage with
"charity," "generosity," "chivalry," and "patriot."
134 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
I often wonder why some candidates are work-
ing in that way only at the time of polling, and
keeping themselves absolutely silent during the
rest of the time ? If one really volunteers himself
as a real statesman for his country, he ought kindly
to guide those ignorant people. The political
lecture in those poor districts is as necessary as
the clergyman's Sunday sermons.
However, " vote for men only " is not the
fairest "cricket." It does not keep the real equiva-
lence of the country.
Here on my desk a pamphlet called PF/iy
PTomen Should Uiot Vote is lying. Some Anti-
Suffragette member has kindly sent it to me.
I have read it very carefully. Perhaps those big
and black-typed letters are meant to be the most
important parts.
"A woman takes no part in MILITARY or
NAVAL SERVICE."
No, women don't. But women can often fulfil
a greater duty for the country than the soldiers or
sailors in war-time. Miss Florence Nightingale
was a good specimen. On the other hand, there
are many men who don't take that part either.
Those deformed men are not able to fulfil the
military or naval service, but they are voting.
Worse than this is that there are some men who
refuse and escape from their military or naval
SUFFRAGETTES 135
services. Nay, there were many who opposed
against their own country during the African War.
Don't you know these most disgraceful traitors
are voting ?
That pamphlet again says : "No civilised country
has ever yet been ruled by women." I could not
help smiling at that. What an awfully bad memory
you have 1 Have you already forgotten the late
Queen Victoria who was most gracefully reigning
till ten years ago .''
My Anti-Suffragette friends have explained me
about the European histories, that women have
made their countries absolutely decayed I My
knowledge on the European histories is not enough
to prove my logic. But we have had the same
in our Oriental histories. Perhaps the Oriental
history is even better example to prove my logic.
For women there were more looked down and far
less educated. Consequently the result was worse.
In Japan there were plenty of women who inter-
fered with the policy and ruined the country, but
China had the worse history. " Ka " Dynasty was
ruined by the King's favourite called Makki ;
" In " Dynasty by Dakki, and " Siu " by Hoji, and
" To " Dynasty by Yokihi. These women had
a great influence upon their respective kings, who
were so weak and immoral. They acted with
indescribable tyranny towards the nations and had
136 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
super-luxurious and most wickedly infatuated lives.
Hence in Japan or China we used to call women,
" Flower in Face and Dagger in Heart," " Super-
human Evil," " Incarnation of the Old Fox,"
" Witch," " Viper," " Scorpion." It is only too
laughable ! This is the most foolish comedy man
ever acted in this world !
Suppose there is an everlasting spring. The
wise men would make a wide canal to let the water
run into the sea. This canal would be most useful
for our daily life in every respect. We would
have a great advantage of boats and traffic, and
moreover, even the poets or artists would be
attracted by its beautiful views.
On the other hand, if some one stopped its course,
what would happen next.'' Even a tiny spring would
make a disastrous flood in the end. Then how
foolish is one who tries to stop a turbulent river !
I always compare women with water in every
respect. Some Japanese poet-artist said, ** With-
out water it is not a perfect landscape." Describing
the scene of the surrender of Port Arthur, some
Japanese military officer wrote thus : " . . . Then
the Russian ladies passed before us next. O, their
gracefulness, their tender manners ! I had not
seen any of the fair sex for over a year, and now
to me they were just like the water on a dried-up
land in hot summer ! "
SUFFRAGETTES 137
It is the woman's nature to be useful as well as
beautiful in this world, just like the water. Only
the world has been wrongfully treating her. In
olden times the men refused to educate women
and they most shamefully excluded women. Did
they think the women would soak themselves into
the earth and quietly disappear from this world
altogether } They had too much energy, too
much talent, and too much ambition to do so.
Certainly those women like Makki, Dakki, Hoji,
and Yokihi had even greater brain than the majority
of men. Therefore they caused such disastrous
flood all over the country. It was all men's fault,
and fancy, there are some men even now who are
calling women "vipers " or "evils"! Who knows
if the women had been given the proper passage
they might have done most useful and beautiful
thing in the human history ? I always say one
who can go to the extremity of one way, can go to
the extremity of the other way as well. The Bible
says water ought to be either boiling or freezing,
and many women have proved that. I say this
with my own confidence which I have attained from
my own experiences with women. Indeed it was my
John Bulless friends who have encouraged me to
pass through the difficulty of the last thirteen years.
Why could not the two sexes help each other ?
And why could not they be treated equally ^
138 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Savages are those men who think of women no
more than the human-manufacturing machines !
Still more barbarious are those who try to make
women as their toys !
If there is a real genuine great statesman, he
ought to open a wide canal to let the woman's
nature flow freely into the ocean and turn the
world into the graceful beauty.
Now let me write my little study about the John
BuUesses. Talking generally, the John Bullesses
have very charming and romantic appearance just
like butterflies. They are the good subjects for
novels, poetries, and pictures. But their inner side
is very much matter-of-fact. They dearly love their
life in this world, and they are very ambitious and
have strong will to carry it out. Men often give
their life away and ruin themselves without any
cause. Women are difl'erent. I know there are
many women who have given up all their sincere
and serious hope in this world and are leading very
corrupted life. But if you investigate the cause,
you will see nine of ten are in very pitiful con-
dition. At the very beginning of their life they
had a bright ambition to have a happy home. Only
their husbands become very lazy, they give up their
sincere life, they get tired of their wives without
any cause (except their changeable nature), and they
begin to treat their wives very cruelly. The wives
SUFFRAGETTES 139
prepare a nice dinner to welcome their husbands
home in the evening. The husbands often don't
turn up. They may be flirting with other women.
For this, the present man-made law is too poor to
do anything.
The Valley-wind blows repeatedly.
It brings out the cloud,
And lo ! the rain next !
Why should you be so angry with me ?
Remember we loved each other,
And we have worked together.
Do not throw away a plant
Because you cannot eat its root,
Its leaf may give you a delicious dish.
Why have you rebelled against my devotion ?
You know my desire to live and die together.
River Kei looks muddy where it meets with River Wee,
Yet remember, it has a graceful stream above.
Now you are delighted with your new love,
Now you look upon me as a poison.
Woman, you dare not go to the fish-trap I made,
You dare not open the saving box I prepared.
O, I myself am allowed to stay no longer,
Then how could I think of my dear home I leave behind .''
(Shikyo, the Ancient Chinese Odes.)
Thus, very serious and sincere women are often
thrown away by the humbugs. The law helps
them very little. When they come to this ex-
tremity they often ruin their own lives. I personally
met with this sort of John Bulless several times.
They would sneer at the world. But no sooner
I40 MY WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
than any sincere sympathy touched their hearts,
they would immediately come back to their own
beautiful conscience with tears.
I always say the John Bullesses are the insurance
company for men. The wise people always insure
everything, and they think it is not wasting money
at all. Very well then. Look at how the John
Bullesses are working. Sometimes people com-
plain the women's work is rather too slow. But
I must say they are not wasting time ; it is the
" Insurance System."
Go to the post office to register your letter. Men
clerks will write only the initials of the addressee
and the name of town. Whereupon the women
clerks always write down full name and full address.
The men clerks will take telegram forms without
reading, and they often wire them with misspelling
words. But the women clerks will not let the
sender go away before they read the form through.
I think it is the instinct of the universal feminine
gender (not only human).
In my mountainous village the hunters always
keep feminine dogs. They say masculine dogs are
no good for hunting because they give up their
hope too soon, whereupon the feminine dogs would
continue their searching until they found out the
game.
If man and woman go out to a field and see
SUFFRAGETTES 141
a ditch, man would jump over without measuring
its width, and very often he jumps into the water.
Woman never does that. She always walks all
round to reach to the other side.
One day I visited upon a John Bulless friend.
She was quite alone and she was preparing a table
for her tea. I asked her if she was expecting a
visitor. She said, " No."
I said, " Then why are you making the table so
properly .'' If I were alone, 1 would go to the
kitchen and take tea standing:."
She laughed. " You arc a bachelor ! We women
could not be such wild animals." 1 was much
ashamed of myself.
Once upon a time there was a great mathematist
in Japan. The Shogun wanted to taste this mathe-
matist's knowledge, and summoned him to the
palace. The mathematist approached to the
Shogun and bowed down. Every subject watched
him breathlessly, because they thought the Shogun
might give him an awfully difficult question.
The Shogun said, "Divide 10 by 2 ! "
The mathematist begged Shogun to lend him
a Soro-ban (calculating instrument), and said,
" Here I put 2 — and here 10 ... 5 times 2 is
10. Therefore the answer is 5."
The Shogun admired him very much and said,
" You are the real professional mathematist, to
142 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
give me the full theory for such an easy question.
One who is so careful for a small matter may be-
come a great statesman." The Shogun gave him
an important commission and indeed all the political
career in his life was wonderful.
I believe many John Bullesses would be same
with that mathematist.
It was February 19th, 19 10, Miss Christabel
Pankhurst was made as the guest of honour at the
Vagabond dinner. I was there with some of my
John Bulless friends. One of them whispered to
me, " Look at the guest's chair. Miss Pankhurst
is there,"
I turned my head in that direction. The chair
for the guest was not very far away. But so many
charming John Bullesses were around me, and the
focus of my eyes could not be set to the guest.
My friend was rather indignant.
The dinner was over and Miss Pankhurst started
her speech. The first few words of hers I could
not catch. In fact I was not quite attentive to
her. But her fluency caught my ears, and made
my head turn to her unconsciously. Every word
came out from her sincere heart. I felt as if she
was talking personally to myself alone. I quite
forgot there were many people around me. I sup-
pose every one of them felt in the same way. I
shall not repeat her speech here, for the public know
l/fo^t -hnr
SUFFRAGETTES 143
her opinion quite well. I sincerely felt from the
bottom of my heart that it is a great shame that
such a splendid compatriot has no vote v/hile many
ignorant Little Englanders have !
Once more I felt as if I were dreaming.
Now I want to write freely my own opinion about
the " militant suffragettes." Whenever I saw in the
papers the grave nev/s of the battles at Westminster
and Whitehall half a dozen wrinkles were grown on
my brow ! We humans have the brains to demon-
strate, and the hearts to sympathise each other.
But there at Westminster or Whitehall brains and
hearts both are ignored, and they fight with their
physical strength. Nothing could be more brutal !
I don't know which is to be blamed. The militant
suffragettes are naughty enough, but the Govern-
ment is so unsympathetic to keep silence. One who
has real sympathy could not be silent even to his
dogs. I am sure the Britannia must be weeping
over this matter. At least I do, though I am only
a foreigner.
As I said in the first part of this chapter, some
great women used to take the advantage of men's
weak point to ruin the country in those days v/hen
the women absolutely were oppressed by the men.
It was their insincere revenge. It was the fateful
flood, caused by stopping the river ! To-day the
suffragette women are far more sincere. They
SUFFRAGETTES 143
her opinion quite well. I sincerely felt from the
bottom of my heart that it is a great shame that
such a splendid compatriot has no vote while many
ignorant Little Englanders have 1
Once more I felt as if I were dreaming.
Now I want to write freely my own opinion about
the " militant suffragettes." Whenever I saw in the
papers the grave news of the battles at Westminster
and Whitehall half a dozen wrinkles were grown on
my brow ! We humans have the brains to demon-
strate, and the hearts to sympathise each other.
But there at Westminster or Whitehall brains and
hearts both are ignored, and they fight with their
physical strength. Nothing could be more brutal 1
I don't know which is to be blamed. The militant
suffragettes are naughty enough, but the Govern-
ment is so unsympathetic to keep silence. One who
has real sympathy could not be silent even to his
dogs. I am sure the Britannia must be weeping
over this matter. At least I do, though I am only
a foreigner.
As I said in the first part of this chapter, some
great women used to take the advantage of men's
weak point to ruin the country in those days when
the women absolutely were oppressed by the men.
It was their insincere revenge. It was the fateful
flood, caused by stopping the river ! To-day the
suffragette women are far more sincere. They
144 ^^ WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
want to go on parallel with men and work together
with men and help the men. They are sincere
enough to take the straight way to the front gate,
instead of taking a willy-nilly way to a back door
where men have no resisting power. The men
ought to be very grateful and welcome them
politely.
Have you ever seen the orchards or grain
fields } When the season comes the farmers
ought to have harvest there. They shall be bene-
fited by the abundant crops. But if a foolish
farmer neglects his harvest, the fruits are decayed,
the grains fall on the ground. Everything is
entirely ruined.
To-day the John Bullesses are quite ripe. The
Westminster scene is the result of the negligence
of reaping harvest.
One day I was invited by some militant suffra-
gettes. To tell the truth I was a little bit nervous.
If they could box the policeman they could easily
throw me on the air ! My anticipation was entirely
wrong. They were most charming John Bullesses.
They were as sweet as the sweetest women could
be. I was much relieved then 1
Some one told me it was rather dangerous to
give vote to the lower-class women. My opinion
is reverse. In those classes, women are safer than
men. I have had more than ten years' life among
SUFFRAGETTES 145
those people in London. The men of this class
are comparatively honest and good-natured, but
hopelessly ignorant. If something happens, they
always say, "I shall ask to my Missus," and their
Missuses are managing everything. The editors or
my artist friends used to visit upon me at my poor
lodging-houses in various places. When I was out
the landlords could not take any message from my
visitors. They would forget even the visitors'
names. Whereupon the landladies were far more
useful. They would fulfil everything most satis-
factorily ! The women of this class pick up
everything much quicker.
I think the reason is very simple. Men have to
work hard exposing themselves on hot sun or pour-
ing rain all day. They use all their physical
strength, but very little brain, while the women
remain in their houses and regulate domestic
affairs with their brains. That is why. And cer-
tainly one who uses the brain is more suitable to
concern herself about the political affairs than one
who uses only his physical strength. If they see
on the papers that the Government is intending to
carry out some plan, the men of that class always
ask, " Is it profitable to my pocket } " Whereupon
women ask, " Is it good for our country ^ "
Indeed, women are more patriotic, which I
appreciate very much, because I am a Japanese.
L
146 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
Perhaps most dangerous voters are the national-
ised immigrants. Most of them don't care two-
pence for England. They think only their own
pockets, and if England is ruined they would only
go away. That is all. But among these sorts of
people women are more sincere. The women
always love and make home in any place where they
are going to live. They are to marry, and they
make their husbands' houses as their home. If
they marry with foreigners, they will make the
country of their respective husbands as their own
home country. The adopted life is the instinct of
women all over the world. I know one Japanese
woman who married an Englishman. She really feels
England is only the country she ought to love.
I am very proud of her. I know several other
women in the same spirit. When I was in New
Cross I made friendship with a few John Bullesses
and alien women. An Irish soldier used to visit on
them. It just happened that the African War was
broken, and that Irish soldier was to be sent to the
front. He was trembling. Some girls were trying
to encourage him, while the others were indignant
of his cowardness.
Again, in Kensal Rise an English soldier was
summoned to the front. He had a pretty young
fiande. This girl and her mother both encouraged
him. I heard the girl saying to him, " Remember
SUFFRAGETTES 147
you are the soldier of our beloved Queen Victoria 1 "
I wrote a long letter to my home at that time
praising these patriotic John Bullesses. They are
the backbone of the country.
To keep the balance of the nation's will, or to
say more accurately, to bring out the constitutional
system quite fairly, we ought to ask the women to
vote, even if they may try to withdraw themselves.
And the real patriotic candidate shall find out
more interesting task and more satisfactory results
upon their task for polling. For the women will
ask them the reason of their political opinion,
whereas the men often ask them a glass of beer.
I want to say a few words more before I con-
clude this chapter. I know there are many beauti-
ful and charming John Bullesses. Their nature is
very gentle, tender, and modest. They are lucky
enough to have found kind husbands. They are
enjoying their life being petted by their husbands.
They want no more than to rely upon their hus-
bands. I have many friends among this sort of
John Bulless. I am very fond of them. One of
them told me she wouldn't care to vote.
I sincerely tell you, just to think. Your hus-
band has only one ticket to vote now. But if you
can vote, that means two votes from your family,
and it will strengthen your husband's will twice
over. I am sure you would be willing to assist
148 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
your beloved husband in that way. Moreover
I call your careful consideration that there are
many John BuUesses less lucky (if you think
so) than yourselves. I mean you have many
spinster sisters who have to pay a heavy taxation
from their *' under-payment." And still worse case
is the failure of marriage. These John Bullesses
are often suffering from the man-made law. I
heard one of them say, " We women don't want to
be the judge or any kind of officer." Why should
you have to be an officer only because you have
the right to vote .'' Rest assured ! If you turn
your head aside and hide your charmingly sweet
face with your big-plumed hat, nobody will pull
you up to the officer's seat.
CHAPTER XI
MY FIRST VISIT TO THE W.S.P.U.
TUST the time when I was writing the SufFra-
gette chapter for the English Review^ one of
the staff of the same magazine made an arrange-
ment for me to inspect the W.S.P.U. in order to
make some sketches there. It was fixed on a
Thursday morning 10.30 a.m. He and I called
on No. 4 Clement's Inn quite punctually. I saw
a motor-car at the gate. It had a flag of their
own colour — mauve, white, and green. A John
Bulless chauffeur was busy to screw that front
handle. Twice or thrice, then the machine
began to breathe ! Now ready to go. She
jumped on the car and got hold of the steering-
wheel. " Just a moment, please. May I sketch
you :
" Certainly," she replied, with a smile.
She was in a thick motoring-coat and a roofed
cap and in long boots. Did she look rather
comical .'' No, on the contrary, she looked very
well becoming. I wondered why. I looked at
149
150 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
her again and again (how lucky to be an artist.
He can have the privilege to stare at ladies !) I
found the reason. That is to say, because she was
comfortably contented in that costume.
The steps of the building are many, and it took
some time to reach to the office, and while I was
climbing upstairs slowly my head was quite occu-
pied to think about the dresses.
Now let me write what has come to my mind
just at this time.
When the old women try to dress up themselves
to look younger they look even older than their
real age. When the small women try to dress up
themselves to look taller they look more dwarf
than they really are. See how those unproportion-
ally high-heel shoes make a small woman look
deformally small 1 I have often noticed some
maid-servants look quite nice in their daily uni-
form of black and white. But how very dis-
appointing it is when they try to dress themselves
as "lydies." I always think the dresses for
women are just like the religion to human souls.
You must worship your god from your sincere
faith. You cannot imitate your neighbour's reli-
gion. So with the dresses. However extrava-
gant and expensive may be your dresses, if you
are not comfortably at home in them you cannot
expect to look nice. On the other hand, if
MT FIRST VISIT TO THE W.S.P.U. 151
you have your soul and heart well in them, you
look quite well ; even if your dresses are most
extraordinary.
My head was so busy to think the philosophy
upon the dresses, I was quite absent-minded until
I entered into the office with my friend. Miss
Christabel Pankhurst came out and said, " Now
I shall show you all our rooms." I was awaken
at last.
"You see, everything is done by women
here 1 " So she said. Well, so they were ! I
was much amused with the large telegraph ex-
changing-box at the entrance. Two very young
John Bullesses v/ere fully engaged in it. We
passed through I forget how many rooms. Every-
where I found several John Bullesses were writing,
typing, or collecting press cuttings. I saw the
notices " Please keep silence in this room " in
several rooms. When they said something to me
in these rooms I only nodded my head instead of
answering " yes."
Perhaps I was most fascinated in the map-room.
There was a very large map of the Great Britain
hanged on a board. A few John Bullesses were
pinning their colours where I suppose they have
successfully invaded. How very interesting 1 I
am very fond of maps since I was a little baby,
and I never get tired of looking at maps, and I
152 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
make all sorts of imaginations upon them — how
all the towns and villages are situated, how the
railways are laid, how the rivers are running
between mountains and fields, and how to travel
all around!
If I were a girl I would ask Miss Pankhurst to
give me that job, and 1 am sure I would be quite
happy with my daily work.
We were taken to another room quite different
from others. Several John Bullesses were design-
ing and sewing many banners. Here they posed
for me and showed me how to carry the banners.
I sketched one of the most artistic designs. Miss
Dunlop came to me and said, " Oh, I am very
proud of that, because I myself have designed it."
Then she told me all about her prison life — espe-
cially about that awful feeding process.
Next room I was shown was the editorial room
of Foles for Women, where I met with Mrs.
Pethick Lawrence. She had a pen in her hand.
She seemed extremely busy, but she was kind
enough to greet me, and we had a very pleasant
chat for several minutes.
They showed us their treasurer's room next to
the editorial room, I saw a large desk covered
with cheques and coins. Miss Pankhurst smiled
and said, "This is our most important room."
And so it was. I quite agreed with her.
MT FIRST VISIT TO THE W.S.P.U. 153
Once I used to have very poor opinion about
the money matter. For I was brought up in that
way. My parents would not allow me to know
about money matter in my childhood life. When
I came to London I visited a Japanese merchant
who married a John Bulless. He had a four-year-
old child. This child, picking up a sea-shell which
was an ornament in the drawing-room, said, " I
wouldn't sell this under three pounds." His John
Bulless grandmother was very proud. " Listen
this dear child ! He is only four years, but
already has a business idea ! "
I was very amazed the way, so different from my
early home life. Again, when 1 was in Rome
there was an American girl tourist in the same
hotel. On the table some one asked her if she
could speak any other language than her own.
Whereupon a pretty young American replied,
" Well, you know, we have only one language
in America, but we have all the money in this
world."
Frankly I was awfully shocked at her. I could
not go so far in favour of money. For I feel
there are many other important things besides
money in this world.
But lately I have begun to feel that money is
quite necessary to carry out all the other important
things — especially our own liberty. Indeed, I have
154 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
become very conscious that I am losing my own
liberty through my poverty. The publishers often
reproduce my works in awfully cheap process. My
original pictures are bad enough, but the public
will see them in the condition of three times
worse. I lamented about my poverty. Only
if I had money enough for my daily life I would
not allow them to publish in that way, and my
works should not be misrepresented before the
public.
Now, seeing my suffragette friends are well off,
1 heartily congratulate them, for it will carry their
liberty through all the difficulties they are so un-
necessarily meeting.
Now, being in their treasury-room I could not
help without recollecting the memory of their grand
meeting at Albert Hall which took place only three
or four days previously.
A press ticket was given to me for that meeting
and I went there punctually at eight o'clock.
The whole hall was already quite packed up.
Those stev/ards in white dresses with their
coloured ribbons were very effective. I say sensibly
effective, for they had done wonderfully organ-
ised works. I saw the names of all provincial
towns on balcony. I understood some- representa-
tives from all over Great Britain were present
there.
Mr FIRST VISIT TO THE W.S.P.U. 155
Mrs. Pankhurst took the chair as usual, and the
speakers were Mrs. Lawrence, Miss Christabel
Pankhurst, and Miss Goldstein from Australia.
Every speaker was received with applause like
thunderstorms. Perhaps I understood the speeches
better than anywhere else. The reason was they
spoke each word so distinctly and so slowly in
order to let it be heard in every corner. (1 fear
my English is incorrect, for the hall was oval-circle
shape and there was practically no corner 1)
And I found out a peculiar phenomenon of
echoes. I was very near to the speakers and I
heard the distinct echoes of every word from the
opposite direction only a few seconds later. That
was such a good confirmation to my uncertain
knowledge of the English language. Then the
suffragette march conducted by Dr. Ethel Smyth
as their determination. Then the collection was
started. Mrs. Pethick Lawrence said, " I expect
thousands of cheques and notes will be poured
upon us." To confess the truth, I doubted her.
" What a bluff she is talking about ! " That was
what I said to myself. (I hope Mrs. Lawrence
will forgive me for giving my truthful confession
here, for I was absolutely ignorant about the fact.)
My anticipation, however, was crushed down in
next few seconds. She was to read out cheques
loudly. So far as I remember there were two or
156 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
three of ;^iooo cheques, and quite many of ;^2oo
or ;^ioo ! The sum was nearly reached to their
promised ;^i 00,000. (I have forgotten the accurate
sum.)
First of all, I was much struck by the earnest
zeal of those suffragette John Bullesses. I should
not be so surprised if this happened among some
other excitable nations. But I know quite well that
John Bullesses have cooler temper, and are very
thoughtful too.
Such a great contribution could not be gathered
from well-reserved John Bullesses unless they had
very strong decision, and not at all for the
momental excitement. This fact alone proved
their future victory. No wonder why Miss
Christabel Pankhurst always says, " We have some-
thing on our back," whenever she makes the
speech of " Resolution."
Now at the treasurer's room 1 have witnessed
their " strong back " with my own eyes.
Miss Pankhurst showed us a small room before
she said us " Good-bye." She told us that was the
only room they had when they started their move-
ment a few years ago.
I wondered how quickly they have been ex-
panded ! If you look at the size of the steam
cylinder you can well imagine the size of the boat.
To-day the suffragette boat is a " Dreadnought."
Ctyy <i-t!e-^-.— '"t.' JU,.-.^
MT FIRST VISH TO THE W.S.P.U. 157
She may still meet some tempest, but she is having
bon voyage.
Let me wish their destination will be quite
nigh !
CHAPTER XII
MRS. FAWCETT
/^N May 19th, at eight o'clock, a banquet was
^"^^ given at Connaught Rooms in honour of the
Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress of Dublin. For the
Lord Mayor of Dublin had brought the petition
for ** Votes for Women " to the House of Com-
mons on the same day. An invitation ticket was
kindly given to me for that memoriable occasion.
I arrived there a little before the time mentioned
on the card. The large magnificent hall and tables
were decorated with flags and flowers, all in their
three colours — green, white, and purple. Many
celebrated and charming John Bullesses were already
present. The whole room was full of gay yet very
sincere atmosphere.
I had many very interesting conversations with
interesting John Bullesses. A young John Bulless
came to me, and our discussion was about whether
there were some Japanese women in London who
would walk in the forthcoming great procession.
Suddenly she broke in and said, " By the way, I
158
MRS. FAWCE7T 159
have met with a young Chinese student the other
day." And she told me the extraordinary story
about him. He told the young John Bulless that
he liked everything English except one thing,
which he did not wish to have in his own country
by all means. She asked him what it was. He
said that was the suffragette. Whereupon the
young John Bulless said to him, " Do you know
to whom you are talking } I am an ardent suffra-
gette." The Celestial guest was very surprised just
for a few seconds, then he entirely changed his
tones. He said the suffragettes were most wonder-
ful, and he admired their movement very much,
that when he goes back he will tell about the suffra-
gettes to all his countrywomen.
1 asked the young John Bulless if she believed
what that Chinese said. She smiled and shook her
head negatively.
The dinner-time came. All the people were
going into the dining-room. I kept myself as the
very last one to enter into. There were a few
empty seats at the end of the table. I sat myself
down on one of those empty seats and started my
soup.
Mrs. Pethick Lawrence so kindly sent a gentle-
man with a message, ** Come nearer to us."
She gave me a seat next to Miss Goldstein.
There 1 had a chance to talk with the heroine
i6o MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
from Australia, where women have secured the
vote.
Among many brilliant speakers after the dinner,
I was most impressed by Mrs. Fawcett 1
Mrs. Fawcett 1 I must tell the readers my old
story. Just the time when I lost my mother, at
my eleven years age, I was almost broken-hearted.
Some doctors gave their opinions freely that I
might not live long. However, my father got a
happy, bright idea. He said to me if I do some-
thing in this world that would please my mother's
spirit most. Prompted with that bright idea, 1
began to study hard. I gave up all childish plays
and devoted my time for reading. At the same
time, many English scientific books were translated
in Japanese. Mrs. Fawcett's Elementary Political
Economy was one of them. My father too studied
it with me as an old scholar. For perhaps that
was the very first book of Political Economy in
Japan. My elder brother bought it and read first,
and then he persuaded us to read. My father
said, " What ? The book of Economy } How
troublesome ! It must be all about figures ! " We
were absolutely ignorant for anything about Politi-
cal Economy. However, when we read it, we
were delighted with her very philosophical point
of view. My father used to call that book, " very
wonderful woman's book." And we were very
MRS. FJWCETT i6i
touched with the introduction chapter by the
translator. It said that that book was translated
first as the step for the book by Fawcett, which was
too difficult for the beginner. Then there was a
rough sketch of Mr. Fawcett's life. My father
and I were much impressed with that pathetic story
of how he lost his sight and what he said to his
father then.
And there was a frontispiece with the portraiture
of Mr. and Mrs. Fawcett. The translator apolo-
gised, for he could not reproduce the picture well
enough to show how graceful and how dignified
Mrs. Fawcett was ! And he gave a story that
Mrs. Fawcett went to the gallery of the Parliament
whenever her husband was present, and one day
some one who saw her there exclaimed, " How pity
Mr. Fawcett cannot see his own wife, who is one
of the most graceful and beautiful women in their
country ! "
I have still quite vivid memory of her book, as
well as all sorts of my boyish imaginations which
I made upon her, though it has elapsed more than
twenty years since then. When I read I never
thought the authoress was living. I looked upon
her as one of the great persons on the past history,
just as you look upon Jean d'Arcor Lady Hamil-
ton, etc. Therefore the readers may easily imagine
how delighted 1 was to see her in my life ! I felt
M
i62 Mr WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
something like a dream. She did not look as old
as I was thinking, but she seemed very healthy and
energetic enough to take the important part of the
movement for the women's suffrage. I did wish
just to shake her hand and exchange a few words.
But she was thickly surrounded by the people who
were as eager as myself to meet her. So I thought
I ought not to trouble her for the account of my
little self. I nodded my head for her from the
distance with my sincere Banzai for the " very
wonderful woman " (in my father's terms).
The readers may get tired of me for repeating
the story of my childhood's life again and again
whenever something makes me recall my memories.
But I was so much attached to my parents. And
if I see anything which brings my memory of them,
I feel my old sweet life has come back to me and
I get quite unconsciously very sentimental. For
this reason I ask the readers to forgive me.
CHAPTER XIII
THE SUFFRAGETTE PROCESSION
OF JUNE, 191 1
/^NE of the nicest and most successful things
^-^ the suffrage John Bullesses have ever done
was their picturesque and poetic procession on the
17th of June, 191 1.
I was informed about this occasion several months
beforehand, but, as usual, I had never prepared
myself where and how to see it until one day before
the date. Then the W.S.P.U. sent me a letter
saying a certain gentleman was willing to offer one
window of his office at Northumberland Buildings
to any one who was anxious to see the procession.
Did I care to go there ? I was delighted to accept
this offer.
When I arrived at Charing Cross Station it was
only 3.30 p.m., that is to say, one hour before the
time. But outside of the station was already
thickly crowded, and many young John Bullesses
in their suffragette colours were busily running to
and fro. It was not easy task for me to make
163
i64 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
a crack in the mass of crowds with my shoulder
so that I could pass through.
The window of the question was on — I forget
which — five or six stories high. There I could
see the whole view. Two members of W.S.P.U.
came to see the procession too. It was quite
amusing to see the square being crowded more and
more every minute.
The boys began to ride on the back of the
Nelson lions and some to climb up the street
lamps. I have never seen the crowd from
such a height ! Nothing but hats and hats, which
were waving like the oatfields on a breezy
day.
I came back to my own conscience and said to
myself, " How cruel of me it was to amuse
myself with this sight." For I recollected my own
experience when C.I.V. came back from Africa.
I was among those human waves at Marble Arch.
My feet did not touch to the ground again and
again. I was compressed amid the air, and 1
thought my rib-bones or my arms might be broken
every minute.
Suddenly I heard a band playing the Marseillaise
March just underneath our window. I saw the
procession was coming.
The constables were at their hard task to make
a way for the procession. Those two John Bull-
THE SUFFRAGETTE PROCESSION 165
esses both sides of me seemed awfully excited.
(Quite natural thing too 1)
"There, that is Mrs. Lawrence ! That is Mrs.
Pankhurst ! Where is Christabel ? Where is
Christabel } There she is ! "
Only a minute or two later the head of the pro-
cession was proceeding far towards Haymarket.
They gave me some deep impression which I
cannot express with words. Whole crowds of the
spectators seemed to me only one dark mass or
pattern (though I knew each of them might be
quite important individuals), and there those most
dignified white souls were marching on !
There was a tableau cart of " The Empire."
There were all sorts of historical pageants, the
representatives of the universities, school teachers,
and all trades. And then many notable John
Bullesses in their carriages. How very gracefully
all those little colours were fluttering when they
met the breeze. By the way, I very much regret
that I could not see either their faces or the designs
of those innumerous banners, which I was told
were most artistic things. For through that win-
dow 1 could see only their backs. It lasted until
7.30 p.m., or for three hours' duration 1
Was I tired to watch them all ? Never ! Nay.
I was fascinated by every one of them. Each of
them looked as fresh and interested as the first one.
i66 MT WEALED JOHN BULLESSES
I feel sure most every spectator felt same with me.
For I overheard some rather anti -suffragette John
Bullesses were saying, " They were wonderful I "
Why was that so ? I have seen other kind of
pageants very often — such as the Lord Mayor's
Show, or many historical ones. In these cases the
performers generally have no fixed mind. Some
of them are joking, while others are in quite
absent-mind, or they want only to show their
beautiful costumes or their clever make-up. What
I mean is that each one has each soul, or perhaps
no soul at all.
The suffragette procession was entirely in differ-
ent nature. There were some forty thousand
women, but they had only one spirit — that was the
faith in " Votes for Women." This one very strong
spirit made their feet to march on. And this spirit
made their hands to hold their banners.
Hark what some very delicate John Bulless said
to me : " I never thought I could walk such a long
distance. But when I arrived at Albert Hall I did
not feel tired at all."
No wonder why we, the spectators, have received
some unusually strong impression from them !
WILLIAM BRBNDON AND SON, LTBk
FKtNTEKS, FLYMOOTH
3^ew 6s. Novels
SUCCESS. By Una L. Silberrad,
Author of " Desire," " The Good Comrade," etc.
THE VICAR OF NORMANTON.
By Edward Noble,
Author of " Chains," " Lords of the Sea," etc.
WINTERING HAY.
By John Trevena,
Author of " Heather," " Granite," " Furze the
Cruel," etc.
HERITAGE. By Valentina Hawtrey,
Author of " Rodwell."
A LOST INTEREST (lUusirated).
By Mrs. George Wemyss,
Author of " The Professional Aunt," " People of
Popham," etc.
EVE'S SECOND HUSBAND (Illusiratcd).
By Corra Harris,
Author of "The Circuit Rider's Wife."
PAUL'S PARAGON.
By W. E. Norris,
Author of "The Square Peg," "Pauline," etc.
THE PERMANENT UNCLE (Illustrated).
By Douglas Goldrlng.
EVERYBODY'S BOY.
By Lindsay Bashford.
London : CONSTABLE & COMPANY Ltd. io Orange St. W.C.
^ooks by Mrs. George IVemyss.
THE PROFESSIONAL AUNT.
4th Impression. 5s» Illustrated. t
Tke Daily Mail. — " Altogether charming."
The Daily Telegraph. — "One of the daintiest and most diverting of volumes that we
have read for some time."
The Daily Chronicle.— " It IS a ioyoYLS, pleasure-giving volume that the professional
aunt has written."
The Tntler. — " One of the most humorous, charming and delightful little stories that
I have come across for a long while."
PEOPLE OF POPHAM.
4th Impression. 6s. Illustrated.
spectator. — " Mrs. Wemyss, who has already made many friends by the ' Professional
Aunt,' will ingratiate herself further with the reading public by her new venture.
These random chronicles of a village are universal in their appeal."
Pall Mall Gazette. — "A graceful, mannerly, and most witty book."
The Daily Telegraph. — " Very delightful and rare tale. It is a distinguished, human,
delicious piece of work. ... It is impossible to describe the charm or to appraise
accurately the worth of the volume."
Mrs, Wemyss'
^ooks for Young People.
ALL ABOUT ALL OF US.
With Cover design and Frontispiece in Colours. i6mo, IS. net.
THINGS WE THOUGHT OF.
With Cover design and Frontispiece in Colours. i6mo. is. net.
New editions of two charming books for children by Mrs. George
Wemyss, the Author of "The Professional Aunt " and "People of
Popham."
London : CONSTABLE & COMPANY Ltd. lo Orange St. W.C.
Some New Novels,
THE LONG ROLL. By Mary Johnson,
Author of "The Old Dominion" (Uth Edition), "Audrey"
(6th Edition), "By Order of the Company" (17th Edition),
"Sir Mortimer" (3rd Edition), and "Lewis Rand."
Crown 8vo. 6s. Third Impression.
The Daily News says : — " Miss Mary Johnston once again throws herself vehemently
and with spirit into a subject which, in her hands, is always exciting and richly
coloured . . . romantic, fascinating incidents, dramatic with quick niovemont,
picturesquely alive with strongly-marked personalities. Her vigour and her strenuous-
ness never abate. Every action is to be made big with destiny. Every scene is preg-
nant, every voice in the air is an alarm : even the stillness of night is fraught with
omen."
QUEED. H. S. Harrison.
Crown 8vo. 6s. Seventh Impression.
The Daily TtUgraph says: — "It is a very fine tale by a novelist of exceptional
ability. The story is engrossing all through and the scenes are powerfully dramatic."
The Morning Leader says : — "The book is mature in every way. . . . Kindliness,
tolerance, sympathy, hope — these are the keynotes of a simple and extraordinarily
enjoyable novel."
THE LITTLE GREEN GATE. By Stella
Gallaghan. illustrated. 5s. Third impression,
Liverpool Post. — "One of the successes of the present season."
Manchester Guardian. — " The author writes with charm and humour."
Tatter.— " A charming love tale."
Jl Series of New Copyright Novels
Crown vo, 2s. net.
THE SCALES OF CHANGE.
By Captain Henry Gurties.
Pall Mall Gazette. — " There is a thrill iu every chapter, and the whole story throbs
with excitement."'
THE MUCK RAKE.
By Norman McKeown.
The Spectator. — "A sensational novel of the most exhilarating type. '
THE RED STAR OF NIGHT.
By W. A. Mackenzie.
Bookman. — "A more exciting and absorbing sensational story it would be difficult
to find."
London : CONSTABLE & COMPANY Ltd. id Orange St. W.C.
THE GREY STOCKING, and Other Plays,
By MAURICE BARING. Crown 8vo. 4s. 66, net.
This volume consists of Three New Plays by Mr. Baring,
entitled "The Grey Stocking," "The Green Elephant," and
" A Double Game."
THE COMMENTS OF BAGSHOT.
Second Series.
By J. A. SPENDER. Crown 8vo. 3s. 66. net.
A Second series of the delightful essays which were received
with enthusiasm by Press and public a few years ago.
THE COMMENTS OF BAGSHOT.
Firsi Series.
By J. A, SPENDER. Crown 8vo. 3s. 66, net.
A/so a Pocket Edition in Cloth 2s. 6d. net ; Lambskin^ y. 6d. net,
LETTERS OF AN ENGLISHMAN.
By A WELL-KNOWN WRITER. 3s. 66, net. f
Daily Telegraph. — "The writer wields a vigorous, clear-cut, epigrammatic style; I
is a loyal follower of the sort of Toryism that is not an affair of politics alone, but pene- j
trates into every side of social and intellectual activity." 1
A New Book by
ERNEST THOMPSON SETON.
ROLF IN THE WOODS.
The Adventures of a Boy Scout who took to the woods
with Quonab, his Indian Guide. Written and Illustrated by
the Author, 200 Drawings. Large Crown 8vo. 6s. net.
AthetuEum. — " An ideal book for boys.'
Field. — " The story is exceedingly good."
Standard. — " Full of good stories of life beyond the frontiers of civilization."
Truth. — "The story fills with adventure."
Queen. — " The author is able to so vividly depict life in the woods and invest his
narrative with an interest which attracts not only the young but also people of more
mature years."
London: CONSTABLE & COMPANY Ltd. 10 Orange St. W.C.
11
University of California
SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
305 De Neve Drive - Parking Lot 17 • Box 951388
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA 90095-1388
Return this material to the library from which it was borrowed.
UjaVERSTTY OF CALIFOKNU
LOS ANGELES
3 1158 00217 2996
UC SOUTHERN REGIONAL LIBRARY FACILITY
AA 000 981 113
Live Music Archive
Librivox Free Audio
Metropolitan Museum
Cleveland Museum of Art
Internet Arcade
Console Living Room
Books to Borrow
Open Library
TV News
Understanding 9/11